The chupacabra — a carnivorous creature with purported sightings that date back to the 1970s, before its name was coined in the mid-’90s — has inspired several movies of the horror variety, as one might expect. However, director Jonás Cuarón (son of Alfonso, with whom he co-wrote Gravity) is taking a different approach with the urban legend that is more “E.T.” than “evil” with the new Netflix original movie, Chupa.
It follows a shy teenager who, while visiting his relatives in Mexico, discovers and befriends the young and surprisingly friendly eponymous creature, which he vows to hide and protect from a scientist who wants to capture him for nefarious purposes. Before (or even after) you use your Netflix subscription to check out this heartwarming family adventure, see who is playing these human characters in the Chupa cast, along with a refresher on where else you might have seen them previously.
