Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt

Set in the isolated, mist-shrouded forests of 1850s Galicia, Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt explores a chilling reign of terror where villagers are brutally murdered by a ferocious entity lurking in the dark. As panic spreads across rural towns, locals become convinced that an ancient wolf beast is hunting them. Amidst this fear, Manuel Romasanta, a soft-spoken and charismatic travelling soap salesman, moves seamlessly between villages. He gains the trust of vulnerable women, including Barbara, whose sister mysteriously disappears shortly after setting off through the woods in Romasanta’s company.

As the gruesome body count continues to rise, military authorities and local hunters initiate a desperate manhunt to catch the culprit. Suspicious of Romasanta’s attentive demeanor, Barbara embarks on her own desperate search for the truth. Her investigation leads to Romasanta’s arrest, but his apprehension brings no immediate closure. Instead, Romasanta offers a shocking and bizarre defense to the court: he claims to be afflicted by an incurable curse of lycanthropy that involuntarily transforms him into a ravenous werewolf during full moons.

Blending historical true-crime drama with folklore and psychological horror, the film delves into the fascinating real-life story of Manuel Blanco Romasanta, Spain’s most infamous suspect of clinical lycanthropy. As physicians, prosecutors, and scholars clash over whether Romasanta is truly possessed by a monstrous affliction or is simply a cold, calculating serial killer taking advantage of local superstitions, the film masterfully blurs the boundary between human evil and supernatural legend.