Ernesto Diaz Espinoza is a master at blending action with storytelling and his latest film, Diablo, is a prime example of this.
Synopsis: After his release from prison, one man makes it his mission to right a terrible wrong by revealing a secret that could end his life. Scott Adkins stars as Kris Chaney, a warrior who seizes the daughter of a Colombian gangster to fulfill a noble promise to the young girl’s mother. When her father enlists both the criminal underworld and the terrifying psychotic killer El Corvo (Marko Zaror) to exact his revenge, Kris will need to draw upon everything he has ever learned — in and out of lockup — to stay alive and keep his word.
Diablo was written by Mat Sansom and stars Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, and Alanna De La Rossa.
Check out our interview with Ernesto:
Director’s Statement:
With Diablo, I want to craft an intense, visceral action film infused with horror elements that elevate the suspense and tension. This is a story driven by relentless momentum — where every moment, every breath, carries weight. At its core, Diablo is not just an action movie; it is an emotional thriller where survival is not only physical but deeply psychological.
The heart of the film lies in the strained yet powerful bond between father and daughter. Their relationship is raw, filled with conflict, regret, and — ultimately —redemption. I want the audience to feel every ounce of tension in their journey — not just in the explosive set pieces, but in the silences between them, in the unspoken pain of lost time, and in the desperate fight to reconnect. This dynamic must be performed with nuance and depth, ensuring that the film resonates beyond the adrenaline rush.
Opposing them is our antagonist — the Diablo, a figure of pure, unrelenting menace. He is akin to the unstoppable forces of cinema’s great villains like the Terminator or Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men: a remorseless killing machine with an extraordinary mastery of martial arts and weaponry. Every time he appears, the audience must feel the inevitability of his presence, the suffocating dread that no matter how far they run, he will always be right behind them.
The action sequences in Diablo are not merely spectacle — they are storytelling. Each fight must carry emotional weight, reflecting the stakes of the characters’ journey. Violence is not entertainment for its own sake; it is a language of desperation, of survival, and of love. The choreography will be brutal yet fluid, grounded yet cinematic, ensuring every hit, every movement, and every confrontation leaves an impact both physically and emotionally.
Through stylized cinematography, a tense and atmospheric score, and a commitment to raw, high-stakes performances, Diablo will grip audiences from the first frame to the last. My goal is to make the audience feel the tension through the chase, through the fights, through the emotional struggles, so that when the final confrontation comes, it is not just thrilling, but deeply cathartic.
This is more than an action film. This is a relentless, pulse-pounding experience that explores the lengths one will go to for love and redemption — all while being pursued by the devil himself.
