If you grew up with your abuela making sure you brushed your teeth in case the Chupacabra would get you, then a new movie coming to Netflix this April is right up your alley.

“CHUPA” is a “supernatural” adventure set in Mexico that dives into the blood-curdling Chupacabra legend. That being said, it’s still a family-friendly film. As Mexican director Jonás Cuarón explained, “CHUPA” is a “new” take on the myth, “full of laughs, action,” and emotion. So, while the 90s-era Chupacabra was once described as a vampire-like creature that sucked goats’ blood, the movie seems a bit less spine-chilling— and maybe cuter.

Cuarón explained why la Chupacabra is decidedly creepier than other myths

That being said, this movie still promises tons of “adventure”— as Cuarón explained to People en Español, he was inspired by iconic childhood movies like “E.T.,” “Gremlins,” and “The Goonies.” Even more, he was significantly affected by the Chupacabra (who wasn’t?): “I grew up in Mexico, and out of all the childhood stories I heard, the Chupacabra legend marked me the most.”

Plus, quite different from La Llorona, the mythical ghost who cries for the children she drowned— a legend possibly dating back to pre-Colonial times— la Chupacabra is a modern myth. With its first “official” attack dating back to 1995, Cuarón says that news stations’ Chupacabra coverage “made it more real.”

What to expect from Netflix’s “CHUPA”

So what is the storyline behind “CHUPA”? The film follows a young boy named Alex who visits his family in Mexico. There, he meets a series of unusual suspects, so to speak. For one, his former lucha-libre-champion grandpa Chava, his cousins Memo and Luna, and a baby Chupacabra he names… “Chupa.”

While the family tries to keep the secret under wraps, a scientist named Richard Quinn plans to trap it. In a sense, think of it as a new generation’s “E.T.,” yet it’s also so much more than that. Director Cuarón explained that while he grew up with “magical” movies like “E.T.,” they “did not represent” him. That’s why he can’t wait to bring “CHUPA” to Latinos— “the opportunity to create a magical story set in Mexico was very exciting.”

Latino representation is undoubtedly an essential aspect of this film, as described by the director himself. He said it is crucial to “make stories that depict Latin America’s reality,” focusing on “family stories, our values, and specifically, Mexican families and culture.”

While the Chupacabra tale is a creepy, hair-raising mystery that still invades Latinos’ collective conscience, this movie is all about positivity. Cuarón stated it is “very important” for him to portray positive Latino stories while describing how “diverse” and “complex” Mexican culture is. Still, for him, it was a fantastic experience showing Mexico’s “values” through the film.

Get ready to watch “CHUPA” on Netflix starting April 7.

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