Mexican-born filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero has received critical praise and millions of views online with her bold and imaginative short film — a 10-minute Western thriller about a heroic female horserider shot entirely on an iPhone.
Released this month on Apple México’s YouTube channel, “El lazo de Petra” (“Petra’s Lasso”) is a tense, heartwarming, tech-driven tribute to Mexican heritage that features a modern-day charra defending her town with her courage, her rope and a bit of help from her valiant horse, Benito.
Shot on an iPhone 16 Pro, the Spanish-language film has amassed more than 33 million views since it hit YouTube 12 days ago.
It fuses cinematic ambition with mobile technology, and its inventive production has been praised as a landmark achievement in accessible, high-end storytelling. English subtitles are available.
For Guerrero, filming with an iPhone 16 Pro — a smartphone that was released in both the United States and Mexico last September — wasn’t a limitation, but “an incredible experience” and a creative revelation.
“As a director, it has inspired me to create stories at any moment,” she said. “It allowed me to streamline production, but also to make more creative decisions that perhaps you can’t make on a traditional shoot.”
The story involves a preteen girl who visits her grandmother’s ranch and hears a bedtime story about a brave charra who battles a bevy of mythical figures known to most Mexicans: La Llorona, or the Weeping Woman, a ghostly spirit who kidnaps or harms unsuspecting children after losing her own; Los Chaneques, goblins who can steal people’s souls or make them get lost in the forest; and El Coco, a bogeyman often used to scare children into obedience (presented in the film as Day of the Dead zombies).
The 35-year-old Guerrero is a Mexico City native who grew up in British Columbia, Canada, starting at age 13. A graduate of Capilano University in Vancouver, she has established herself as one of genre cinema’s rising stars.
Nicknamed “La Muñeca del Terror” (The Doll of Terror) for her signature horror-influenced style, she has directed full-length features such as “Culture Shock,” “Bingo Hell” and “Satanic Hispanics.”
Initially, she broke through with short films and the acclaimed web series, “La Quinceañera,” which won the Golden Skull Award as an audience favorite at the 2017 Mórbido Film Festival in Mexico City.
In “El lazo de Petra,” Guerrero blends her passion for folklore and strong female characters with bold storytelling, horror and cultural references. The project was commissioned by Apple.
“My grandmother was the main source of inspiration when creating this film,” she said. “I wanted to pay tribute to all those strong Mexican women.”
Along with a cast of multidimensional female characters, the film has also sparked national pride in Mexico with its modern portrayal of charrería — Mexico’s national sport.
Complementing the film is a photo series by Puebla-based photographer Ana Joaquina, also shot on iPhone, currently being exhibited across public spaces in Mexico.
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The film was shot using advanced features such as 4K Dolby Vision, 48-megapixel resolution and Action Mode stabilization, demonstrating the potential of smartphone cinema.
The creative team even used the device’s LiDAR scanner to produce a video game-style animated sequence with help from Guadalajara-based Halberd Studios.
Guerrero said she respects the film as a technical showcase, but to her, it’s more than that. It’s a cultural statement.
“It celebrates the beautiful chaos of Mexican culture — with heart, monsters and mariachi.”
With reports from GQ Mexico & Latin America and El País
