It can be hard for men to understand how women move through the world. That’s perhaps why so many systems throughout history have clearly been put into place by men in a way that doesn’t even bother to try to accommodate what women experience on a daily basis. Even something as routine as taking a bus to work can pose a serious danger, especially if there’s no accountability when a crime is perpetrated. Inspired by a real-life instance of one woman who chose to fight back and set an example for others, The Huntress tells a harrowing story of resilience as one woman takes matters into her own hands to mete out some of justice.
Wearing a blond wig and a baseball cap, Luz (Adriana Paz) steps onto a bus and shoots the driver. She runs and ditches her disguise, catching a ride to work from her boyfriend Jaime (Eme MalaFe), where she has to sneak in since she’s late. She’s soon questioned by a detective, Rosales (Guillermo Alonso), because this murder happened on her bus route, where she previously reported experiencing an assault. When she arrives home, she must protect her daughter Ale (Jennifer Trejo) as what she’s done threatens to follow her and after she meets another woman, Ximena (Teresa Sánchez), who signals support for what Luz is doing and encourages her not to give up as Ximena continues to search for her own missing daughter.
This is the feature directorial debut for Suzanne Andrews Correa, who was previously at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019 with her prize-winning short Green. Her screenplay is based on the real case of a woman in Juárez who, in 2013, killed two drivers and sent a letter to a newspaper as “Diana the Huntress of Bus Drivers” warning that potential perpetrators were being watched and wouldn’t get away without someone coming after them. This story puts Luz into that role, beginning immediately with her first kill and then showing how the aftermath of her action only further illustrates the need for sincere change.
Paz, who shared the Best Actress prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with her costars in Emilia Pérez, delivers a taut and mesmerizing performance as Luz, who has hatched this plan and executed its first part but still feels a real fear given that, if existing structures of power prevail, she’ll have no hope of getting away with it. Seeing her protect her daughter when an element of law enforcement abuses his authority merely to intimidate them is both very upsetting and extremely intense. Trejo, in only her second-ever feature performance, following a 2023 Sundance selection, Radical, demonstrates the sharp shift from youthful immaturity to a horrifying realization that she isn’t immune to mistreatment, even in her own home. Sánchez, Alonso, and hip hop artist MalaFe, in his acting debut, contribute to the film’s stark, disturbing environment that feels dark and dismal even as Luz does her best to even the playing field and make it so there’s at least one place she can go without fear of being attacked.
This unsettling, immersive film conveys the terror of a woman realizing she is alone on a bus and the primal, predatory instinct that kicks in for the men who see her only as prey. Luz is haunted by what she’s experienced and knows will happen again and again to countless women, and her raw act of revenge isn’t personal or performative but a desperate attempt to do something she knows others won’t. Correa’s first feature film is an expertly-crafted portrait of resilience in the face of grim prospects and a hopelessly broken system, captivating, compelling, and propelled by formidable performances from each member of its cast.
Movie Rating: 8/10
The Huntress premieres in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
