Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Summary, Characters and Themes
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a supernatural thriller set in 1990s Mexico City, blending Mexican horror films, Nazi occultism, and personal struggles. The story follows Montserrat, a skilled but underappreciated sound editor, and her best friend Tristán, a former soap opera star whose career is in decline.
They are drawn into a mysterious and dangerous world when a forgotten horror film director, Abel Urueta, recruits them to help finish a cursed, unfinished movie. As the pair becomes entangled in occult forces and dark magic, they must confront both supernatural and personal challenges to break free of the curse.
Summary
The story centers on Montserrat, a talented sound editor, and Tristán, a washed-up actor, both struggling with their stalled careers and complex personal lives in 1990s Mexico City. Montserrat, a woman in her 30s, faces constant marginalization in the male-dominated film industry.
Despite her skill and passion, particularly for the classic horror films from Mexico’s Golden Age, her work opportunities are dwindling. Her abrasive personality isolates her from colleagues, while her unrequited love for Tristán, her childhood best friend, further complicates her life.
Tristán, once a popular soap opera star, has seen his career derailed by a tragic car accident that claimed the life of his girlfriend. Scarred emotionally and physically, he now lives as a struggling actor, unsure of his future.
Their lives take a dramatic turn when Tristán moves into a new apartment and meets Abel Urueta, a former cult horror director.
Abel’s career peaked decades earlier, but it all came crashing down when he attempted to film Beyond the Yellow Door, a project that never saw completion due to a curse linked to Nazi occultism. Urueta believes that his film stock, made from volatile silver nitrate, was imbued with dark magic by a Nazi occultist, seeking to unlock hidden powers.
The unfinished film, left incomplete for decades, has cursed Abel, ruining his career and life.
When Abel convinces Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the final scene of Beyond the Yellow Door, they unwittingly enter a world of occult forces. The magic that cursed the film starts to manifest in terrifying ways—Montserrat senses a dark presence following her, while Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.
As they dig deeper into the film’s history and the occult practices behind it, they uncover connections between Nazi occultists who once roamed Mexico City and the magical symbols embedded in the film.
The plot gradually escalates as the pair realize they’re dealing with far more than just a cursed film.
The magic tied to the silver nitrate stock begins to influence their lives, drawing them into a sinister world where the boundaries between reality and the supernatural blur. As the curse takes hold, Montserrat and Tristán find themselves haunted by both their personal demons and the growing supernatural forces unleashed by the cursed film.
Montserrat, often the stronger of the two, emerges as a heroine determined to save them from the deadly forces at play.
She juggles this battle while navigating a strained relationship with her mother and her sister’s battle with cancer. Tristán, reliant on Montserrat, slowly comes to realize how much he needs her, not just in breaking the curse but in his emotional life as well.
Ultimately, their investigation into the film and the occult practices entwined with it leads to a dangerous confrontation.
They must not only face down the forces of dark magic but also reconcile the deep, unresolved emotions between them. In the end, they confront the curse head-on, finding resolution for both the film’s dark legacy and their own personal struggles.
Characters
Montserrat
Montserrat, often called Monse, is the novel’s protagonist and a sound editor in 1990s Mexico City. As a woman working in a male-dominated film industry, Montserrat faces significant challenges, including sexism, nepotism, and career stagnation.
She is highly skilled at her job, passionate about horror films—particularly Mexican horror from its Golden Age—but finds herself frequently overlooked and excluded from the “boys’ club” of filmmakers. Montserrat’s character is marked by her determination and independence, though her abrasive personality often isolates her from her peers.
Her love for sound editing and horror films suggests she sees value and beauty in things most people ignore, an undercurrent that runs through her personal life as well. Montserrat’s personal life is complex and fraught with unspoken feelings.
She has been in love with her childhood friend, Tristán, for years, yet remains stuck in the friend zone, often relegated to the role of his emotional support. Despite this, she is steadfast and loyal to him, even as he fails to recognize her romantic feelings.
Her unrequited love for Tristán is a major emotional thread in the story, contributing to her sense of inadequacy and rejection. At the same time, Montserrat emerges as the stronger, more grounded of the two main characters, grappling with personal and professional challenges head-on.
Her journey through the novel involves not only uncovering the occult mystery tied to the cursed film but also recognizing her own power and worth, both in her career and her personal life. Her family relationships add another layer to her character.
She is close to her sister, who is battling cancer, which humanizes Montserrat and shows her vulnerable side. Meanwhile, her strained relationship with her mother reflects the emotional baggage she carries.
These dynamics make Montserrat a complex character—tough and resilient, yet deeply affected by the people she loves.
Tristán
Tristán, the novel’s other protagonist, is a former soap opera star whose career has fallen into obscurity following a tragic car accident that left him scarred and killed his girlfriend. His current professional life consists mostly of voice acting, far from the fame and recognition he once enjoyed.
Tristán is portrayed as charming and charismatic but also deeply flawed. He has spent his life as a ladies’ man, often chasing glamorous women, oblivious to Montserrat’s feelings for him.
His dependence on Montserrat for emotional support highlights his more passive and sometimes selfish tendencies. Tristán is stuck in a state of arrested development, unable to confront his own failures, both personal and professional.
At the start of the novel, Tristán is emotionally lost and unsure of how to reclaim his life. His neighbor, the once-great horror film director Abel Urueta, provides him with a potential path to redemption when he asks Tristán and Montserrat for help in finishing his cursed film.
As Tristán becomes more involved in this occult mystery, his character begins to evolve. He starts to confront the trauma from his past—particularly the accident that ended his acting career—and his reliance on Montserrat becomes more apparent.
Over the course of the story, he is forced to reckon with his feelings for Montserrat and the ways in which he has taken her for granted. While Tristán begins as the weaker, more dependent character, his arc involves growing self-awareness and maturity, though he never quite matches Montserrat’s strength.
Abel Urueta
Abel Urueta is an elderly horror film director from Mexico’s Golden Age of cinema, now living in obscurity due to the unfinished and allegedly cursed film, Beyond the Yellow Door. Once a celebrated figure in Mexican horror, Abel’s career was derailed by the curse tied to this film, which was meant to incorporate Nazi occult elements.
Abel is a tragic figure—someone who was once full of artistic ambition but is now reduced to a shadow of his former self. His belief that completing the film will break the curse and restore his lost success propels much of the plot.
Abel embodies the classic “fallen genius” archetype, haunted by both his past work and the supernatural forces tied to it. Despite his faded glory, Abel is manipulative and persuasive, convincing Montserrat and Tristán to help him with his quest to finish the cursed film.
His character adds a sense of foreboding and mystery to the novel, as he introduces the protagonists to the occult world that exists beneath the surface of 1990s Mexico City. Abel’s knowledge of occultism and his past ties to a Nazi occultist give him a sinister edge, though he is as much a victim of the curse as anyone else.
His character functions as a conduit for the novel’s supernatural elements, bridging the gap between the horror film world Montserrat loves and the darker reality of magic and curses.
The Nazi Occultist
The Nazi occultist, though not a central character in terms of direct involvement, plays a crucial role in the backstory of the curse and the supernatural mystery surrounding Beyond the Yellow Door. He is a symbolic representation of the fusion of real-world historical atrocities—specifically Nazi ideology—with the occult.
The occultist is depicted as someone who believed in using film as a medium for magical power, imbuing it with dangerous esoteric symbols and runes. His death before the completion of the film leads to the curse that haunts Abel and, by extension, Montserrat and Tristán.
The Nazi occultist’s connection to white supremacy and racist ideologies also ties into broader themes of race and colorism in the novel, particularly as it affects Montserrat, who is darker-skinned, in contrast to Tristán’s lighter, more Eurocentric appearance. This figure functions as a villain, but one whose influence pervades the story in more abstract ways, serving as a dark shadow over the characters’ lives and their investigation into the cursed film.
Montserrat’s Family
Montserrat’s family, though secondary in the narrative, plays a critical role in shaping her character. Her sister, who is battling cancer, provides a source of emotional vulnerability for Montserrat, showing a side of her that is tender and caring, despite her tough exterior.
This relationship underscores the theme of familial love and responsibility, adding emotional depth to the story. Her strained relationship with her mother, on the other hand, reflects her internal struggles with self-worth and rejection.
These family dynamics are not the primary focus of the novel but serve to humanize Montserrat, balancing her professional and personal life.
The Ghost of Tristán’s Ex-Girlfriend
Tristán’s ex-girlfriend, who died in the car accident that scarred him, appears as a ghostly presence throughout the novel, haunting Tristán as he gets involved with the cursed film. Her appearances are tied to Tristán’s guilt and unresolved trauma.
She serves as a symbol of his inability to move on from the past. Her ghostly figure also adds to the horror elements of the story, reminding Tristán—and the reader—of the ever-present supernatural forces at play.
Her death and its aftermath are central to Tristán’s character development, as he must confront the emotional and supernatural ramifications of his past actions.
Themes
Gender Inequality and Career Struggles
One of the central themes in Silver Nitrate is the systemic gender inequality that Montserrat faces in her professional life as a sound editor in the male-dominated film industry of 1990s Mexico City. Despite her exceptional talent and passion for her work, Montserrat is consistently sidelined, denied opportunities that her male counterparts easily receive.
Her struggle with nepotism and diminishing work hours mirrors real-world challenges women face in various industries, particularly those heavily influenced by patriarchal structures. Montserrat’s abrasive personality, which is partly a response to the professional obstacles she encounters, further complicates her journey.
She battles not only for recognition but also for respect in a field that constantly undermines her abilities. Her experiences represent a broader commentary on the sexism prevalent in workplaces, especially in creative industries, and the emotional toll it takes on women like her who are forced to work twice as hard to prove their worth.
Friendship, Love, and Emotional Dependency
The complex relationship between Montserrat and Tristán forms the emotional core of the novel. Their lifelong friendship is marked by unspoken romantic tension, particularly on Montserrat’s side, as she has harbored feelings for Tristán since childhood.
However, Tristán, once a successful soap opera star, remains unaware of her romantic affections, caught up in his own struggles with career failure and personal trauma. This unbalanced dynamic introduces the theme of emotional dependency, with Tristán often leaning on Montserrat for support, while Montserrat struggles with the pain of unrequited love.
Their relationship evolves throughout the novel as they both confront their inner demons. Montserrat, despite being more emotionally resilient, still deals with the disappointment of being perpetually in the background of Tristán’s life.
Meanwhile, Tristán must face his own emotional weaknesses and come to terms with how much he depends on Montserrat for stability. This theme explores the fine line between friendship and love, as well as the emotional complexity of relationships built on long-standing bonds.
Occultism and Supernatural Horror
The novel’s supernatural dimension is rooted in occult practices, particularly those linked to Nazi occultism. As Montserrat and Tristán become entangled in helping Abel Urueta finish his cursed film, the plot dives deep into the esoteric world of magic, curses, and dark rituals.
The presence of the Nazi occultist and his attempts to imbue power into the film’s silver nitrate stock injects a sinister historical thread into the narrative. The connection between this occultism and real historical events, such as the involvement of Nazis in Mexico during and after World War II, adds a chilling layer of realism to the supernatural horror.
The cursed film itself becomes a metaphor for the dangers of meddling with forbidden forces. Montserrat and Tristán’s involvement in the project awakens these dark powers, putting their lives at risk.
The novel blurs the line between film and reality, creating an eerie atmosphere where the characters are forced to contend not only with ghosts and spirits but also with the physical consequences of dabbling in magic. Through this, Silver Nitrate taps into classic horror tropes, particularly those involving occultism and haunted objects, while imbuing them with a distinctly Mexican cultural flavor.
Mexican Film History and Horror Cinema
The novel celebrates the legacy of Mexican horror cinema, particularly from its Golden Age, while also mourning its decline. Abel Urueta, the aging film director, represents a once-thriving era of horror filmmaking in Mexico, now forgotten and overshadowed by international (primarily Hollywood) cinema.
His desire to complete his lost film speaks to the larger theme of artistic ambition and the yearning for immortality through one’s work. For Montserrat, who is passionate about this era of cinema, the project offers a chance not only to assist a legendary figure but also to participate in something meaningful, as she herself feels like an outsider in the modern film industry.
The novel’s setting in the 1990s, when Mexican cinema was struggling against the dominance of Hollywood, serves as a backdrop for the exploration of cultural identity, nostalgia, and the desire to preserve one’s creative legacy. The supernatural elements woven into the plot mirror the thematic reverence for horror films, as Montserrat and Tristán’s lives become intertwined with the occult just like the characters in the films they admire.
Race, Colorism, and Identity
The novel subtly addresses issues of race and colorism, particularly through the contrasting physical appearances of Montserrat and Tristán. Montserrat, who is darker-skinned, experiences the societal disadvantages that come with not fitting into Eurocentric beauty standards.
In contrast, Tristán’s lighter skin and more traditionally attractive features allowed him to thrive as a soap opera star in his youth. This highlights the societal biases that favor lighter-skinned individuals.
This theme extends beyond personal identity into broader societal commentary. It reflects how colorism and racism continue to shape the experiences of individuals within both professional and personal spheres.
The inclusion of Nazi occultism and white supremacy within the novel also connects these issues to historical racial ideologies. This draws parallels between the fictional supernatural horror and real-world racial violence and prejudice.
The Power of Film and Storytelling
Another central theme is the transformative power of film and storytelling. Silver Nitrate positions film as a medium not only for entertainment but also for magic and immortality.
Abel Urueta’s lost film is not merely an unfinished project—it is a vessel for dark forces that can manipulate reality. The use of silver nitrate film, which is highly flammable and dangerous, serves as a powerful metaphor for the volatile nature of art itself—how it can spark both creation and destruction.
The film becomes a symbol of both personal and cultural memory. Finishing it represents the characters’ desire to reclaim their own narratives and break free from the curses that bind them.
In this sense, the novel explores the ways in which storytelling shapes identity. It delves into how revisiting the past—whether through film, memory, or magic—can lead to both redemption and peril.
Trauma, Loss, and Healing
Tristán’s character arc revolves around the theme of trauma, particularly the grief and guilt he carries from his ex-girlfriend’s death in a car accident. His personal tragedy, which led to his fall from fame, manifests as both emotional and physical scars.
As the story progresses, Tristán’s journey is as much about confronting his trauma as it is about surviving the supernatural forces at play. Montserrat, too, faces emotional wounds, stemming from her unrequited love for Tristán and the strain in her familial relationships, particularly with her ailing sister and difficult mother.
These personal struggles parallel the supernatural horrors they face, as both characters must confront their inner demons alongside the external threats of curses and ghosts. The novel ultimately explores how trauma can shape one’s life and the difficult but necessary process of healing—whether through confronting the past, making peace with it, or breaking free from its hold.