2026 Sundance Film Festival Movie Review: The Huntress

The Huntress is a brutal and surprisingly inspirational tale about standing up to injustice when all hope seems lost. Writer/director Suzanne Andrews Correa takes us deep into the darkness of Juarez, Mexico to show us how one woman took a stand against violence in her community.

Set over the course of a stressful day, The Huntress opens with a woman shooting a bus driver in cold blood in front of several people. This woman is Luz (Adriana Paz), and the bus driver, we learned, had raped a 17-year-old girl recently. This type of violence is common in Juarez and Luz, who has been assaulted herself and has a 14-year-old daughter, fears for her and her daughter’s safety daily.

Luz tries to go about her day as regularly as possible, but is constantly stressed and worried about her life, her daughter’s life, and the police on her tail for the shooting. She has her alibi set up, goes to work as normal, and nobody knows that she planned the shooting or what she has planned next. But her world slowly starts to cave in as the police start to get closer, her daughter starts getting into trouble, and her trauma starts to affect her relationship with her daughter and partner.

Paz is the heart and soul of The Huntress. She delivers an incredible, lived-in performance of a woman overcoming her fear to protect those in her community, whether or not she knows them. It’s an emotionally wrenching performance, and Luz always feels like she is on the verge of breaking and giving up, and must muster up one last ounce of courage to keep her plan alive for the women of Juarez. She is in nearly every shot of the movie, and she grips you from minute one.

The Huntress is based on true events that took place in Juarez in 2013. Correa brilliantly constructs a cautionary tale about what happens when a society allows abuse and violence, and the power of standing up for yourself and your community. While it takes place over the course of one day, Correa’s detail and visual storytelling allow us to fully understand the horrors of Juarez in only a matter of time. The cinematography is at times dizzying when we dive inside Luz’s mind, but other times beautiful as Correa highlights the beauty of a city run by violence and hate. While it has moments that will shock you and make you squirm in your seat, The Huntress is overall a moving portrait of fighting for safety for your community and your future.

The Huntress premiered in the World Dramatic Competition category at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

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