The Devil's Teardrop (2025) Review–Unnamed Footage Festival

The debut feature film from Peruvian director Gonzalo Otero sees four Americans heading to a remote mining area. Coaxed into going by Sarah (Sydney Amanuel) for her ecological documentary, the four soon find themselves stuck in a loop at the mine site, with bizarre totems, creatures, and distorted people coming after them. Unable to leave, they begin plotting a new path in the hope it will get them out. Here, Isaac (Gabriel Rysdahl) attempts to lead the group to safety, only to unravel the deeply sinister reason behind their situation.

He is plagued by visions, and paranoia grows, leading him to make a drastic choice to turn things around and save himself and his sister. An action that comes at a high price.

Important to get out of the way first, Devil’s Teardrop may fall short for purists of the genre. Notably, it is less a found-footage horror film and more a horror film shot in the FF style. This means you have pretty inventive camerawork for a remote forest setting, with music interjected. Other elements, such as the use of CGI for monsters, may also pose a hindrance to those who are very specific about what they want from the genre.

That said, if this approach does not bother you, The Devil’s Teardrop is an unrelenting, crazy ride that will certainly please those who want constant scares and attention. Moreover, the integration of FF is not overtly sterile in a more Hollywood fashion, with clever use of trail cams and decent running shots still giving it a frantic visual flow.

Backing up slightly before delving into the horror itself, one element of The Devil’s Teardrop that is done exceptionally well is the building of its own lore. It feels wholly original, with both distorted human figures and nightmarish monsters being very impactful in their execution; CGI be damned. There is also a clever psychological element, as the sinister force in the forest has a way of marking its prey, altering their perspectives and deepening the divide between the survivors. This makes the story not necessarily unpredictable, but it is an engaging set-up that is well executed enough to keep viewers invested.

The terror itself comes from a complementary blend of jump scares and trying to delve into darker themes of death, illness, and desperation. The Devil’s Teardrop feels oppressive and claustrophobic despite its outdoor setting, giving the film a steady, pervasive sense of unease. The monsters, a dog/goat demonic hybrid, are the more impressive creature to crawl out of the woods, but seeing visions of friends, white, naked, and violent, becomes an equally terrifying obstacle. There is a continual, horrific joy in not realizing what will come out of the woods next.

Ultimately, the terrorized crew is more a means to deliver the horror, with their fates pretty much sealed from the get-go. There is some drama and story here, but it is not really that engaging as the macabre happenings. That said, none of the actors detracts from the final product; they commit to their roles, and no one is obnoxious or awkward.

Gonzalo Otero’s The Devil’s Teardrop is a solid horror film, with an inventive premise that will keep viewers invested. It is not breaking the mold, but it delivers scares and a fascinating premise that delivers unrelenting terror.