Cronos 1994

In 1536, the alchemist Humberto Oganelli (Mario Iván Martínez) arrives in Veracruz, Mexico, seeking refuge from the Inquisition. Appointed as the official watchmaker for the viceroy, Oganelli embarks on a quest to perfect an invention he dubs the Cronos device, believing it holds the key to eternal life. Fast forward to 1937, a tragic incident unfolds when a building collapses, revealing a peculiar man with skin resembling marble, mortally wounded with a fatal chest wound. His final words echo: Sua tempore. This man is Oganelli, and the secrets surrounding his death remain obscured to the public.

What they don’t disclose is the grisly scene discovered by the authorities—a human male hanging upside down, his blood draining into a basin. The only person aware of the Cronos device’s existence is the dying millionaire, De la Guardia (Claudio Brook), who has dedicated his life to acquiring old statues of archangels, perpetually searching for the coveted device without success. However, his luck changes when the archangel statue appears in the shop of Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi).

Unbeknownst to Jesús and his mute granddaughter Aurora ([Tamara Shanath]), the statue conceals the Cronos device. When Jesús inadvertently activates it, horrific mechanical claws emerge, gripping his hand and inflicting agonizing wounds. Following this, Ángel de la Guardia (Ron Perlman), De la Guardia’s nephew, is dispatched to acquire the statue. However, in his desperation, Ángel resorts to murder when he discovers the device is missing.

As Jesús grapples with the implications of the device, he learns that it grants immortality, but at a gruesome cost—he develops an insatiable thirst for human blood, and his skin begins to peel, revealing the eerie marble-like texture. In a climactic showdown between Jesús, De la Guardia, and Ángel, though Jesús emerges as the victor, he ultimately destroys the Cronos device. He returns home to Aurora and his girlfriend Mercedes (Margarita Isabel), knowing that his fate is sealed.

The tale is narrated by Jorge Martínez de Hoyos, recounting Oganelli’s story, the building’s collapse, and the subsequent auction of its remnants, including the angel statue. Jesús, unaware of the horrific power he’s unleashed, becomes increasingly obsessed with the device—a journey that leads him down a dark path filled with sacrifice, love, and loss. In the end, as he recognizes the horrifying transformation he has undergone, he resolutely shouts “NO!”, choosing to shatter the Cronos device and bidding farewell to both life and his beloved granddaughter amid tears.