La leyenda de la Nahuala

The film takes place on the Day of the Dead of 1807, in the city of Puebla, New Spain. A narrator starts the plot off with a story about an abandoned house in Puebla, which is haunted by a malevolent force known as “La Nahuala.” 52 years ago, it was the home of the affluent Villavicencio family, who were holding a feast for family and friends for the Day of the Dead. Unbeknownst to them, they were being haunted by a malignant nahuatl who wanted to become all powerful. It killed and possessed the cook's body, turning the woman into La Nahuala, a witchly host, and initiated a ritual to take over. La Nahuala ends up killing the Villavicencio family by poisoning their soups and murders the rest of the household. Among those killed are the Villavicencio’s young daughter Teodora and Teodora’s servant Xochitl as ritual sacrifices, but before La Nahuala could finish her final victim she was "stopped.” However, her soul and the souls of all the people she killed are trapped in the abandoned house - and it is said she still awaits for a child to come near the manor at night so she can finally complete the ritual. The story ends as it is revealed to have been told by a mischievous boy named Nando San Juan, who told the story to his nervous and cowardly younger brother Leo San Juan, whom he enjoys teasing. Just as Nando scares Leo, the two boys are herded to mass by their grandmother and their nanny. Leo (who serves as altar boy) can't stop thinking of the legend of La Nahuala during the service and his trembling causes a series of accidents that disturb mass and humiliate Friar Godofredo, the Franciscan friar who officiates mass. Despite the mess, Friar Godofredo only gently reprimands Leo and soothes his fears by assuring him that La Nahuala is dead. Friar Godofredo then shows him his hot air balloon, promising to take Leo on a ride once the balloon is ready to fly. During the festivities, Leo is shunned by two children in front of the seemingly kindly Santos' candy stand for his stuttering and for peeing when he's afraid (a fact Nando has been spreading). Santos assures Leo that the Villavicencio house isn't haunted - he says Leo should confront his fears by going into the house, and gifts him with a golden medallion: the Medallion of Miquitzli, which he claims keeps fear at bay. Before the two part, Santos gives Leo a brief show of the fireworks he has just acquired. Back at home, Leo's good mood is ruined when his nanny Dionisia gives him a large order of bread to be delivered to a Señor Machorro (later revealed to be Santos) at number ten Nahuala street, the very street where the abandoned Villavicencio house stands. Leo makes it to the front of the abandoned house, where Nando unexpectedly jumps out and frightens him; the shock makes Leo pee himself and drop the bread. Adding insult to injury, Nando steals the medallion of Miquitzli from Leo and dodges into the Villavicencio house, pretending to be caught by La Nahuala to further humiliate Leo. As Leo sadly walks away, the medallion begins to glow, and Leo turns in time to see a ghostly hand burst from the house and drag a screaming Nando inside. Leo goes to Friar Godofredo for help. The elderly friar reveals to him the real story of La Nahuala: 52 years ago, a young Friar Godofredo and a Nahua shaman joined forces to hunt the nahuatl when they caught wind of the appearance of La Nahuala in the Villavicencio house. The two men led a mob to the house, where La Nahuala prepared to consume the souls of Teodora, Xochitl, and Teodora's friend, Toñita San Juan, who is revealed to be Leo and Nando's own grandmother. The party arrived too late to save Xochitl and Teodora, but Toñita resisted, ripping the medallion of Miquitzli from La Nahuala's neck and upsetting the ritual as Friar Godofredo and the shaman fought the witch. Although the ritual's failure stopped La Nahuala from gaining immortality and power, her spirit took over the house, leaving the friar and the shaman no choice but to seal the house and evacuate Toñita and the cook's young son, the only two survivors. Friar Godofredo warns that he must destroy the medallion before the night is over or La Nahuala will come back to life, prompting Leo to run back into the Villavicencio house. Friar Godofredo tries to run after him and is overcome by exhaustion. When he runs into Santos and attempts to enlist his help, the candymaker instead knocks Friar Godofredo unconscious. Inside the house, Leo runs into various frightening sights including two living sugar skulls, finally running into the ghost of Xochitl. The girl offers him her help, explaining that La Nahuala will enslave the dead and feed on the souls of all the living in Puebla if she can conclude the ritual (apparently using Nando's soul as a replacement). The house itself seems resolved to kill Leo with living knives, lava-spewing pots and other apparitions. They also run into trouble from the cursed skeletons of the Villavicencios and their guests, who are…