This essay analyzes three films made by independent Peruvian filmmakers from the Andean region. All three are thrillers or horror movies, focusing on the dramatic tension of their plots as well as the economic and social context in which they were produced and exhibited. The author examines initially the origin and evolution of the flourishing movement of regional cinema that emerged in Peru around 1996, characterized by their local topics, low budgets and cottage culture industries. Subsequently, the author analyzes the qualitative content of the movies and contrasts its findings with the testimonies of all three filmmakers obtained by interviews. The article suggests that the films are statements in which fiction turns into socially significant cultural fields. It also proposes that the films have public plots that are critically deeper than the dramatic argument of the script’s episodes, in which corruption, impunity and the absence of state institutions are the true backdrop in the narratives of these films.