Vuelven

I went into this with metered expectations despite hearing good things. I was very happy with the movie. Heart breaking and brutal this is a great film about orphaned children in Mexico with great dark fairytale elements thrown in. The whole movie you wonder what is actually happening and what is the children's imagination. The childeren are fantastic. I do have to warn you, this movie pulls no punches. It covers very dark subject matter. If child death scenes are a trigger for you this is not the film for you. Other than this, watch it! This is a great story that really needed to be told

Taking heavy inspiration from the work of Guillermo Del Toro (particularly 'Pan's Labyrinth (2006)' and 'The Devil's Backbone (2001)'), 'Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)' mixes harsh reality with dark fantasy. It's a little uneven in its blending of its two core elements; nevertheless, it's an engaging and palpable experience throughout. Even when it's at its most fantastical, it always retains a level of sobering realism. It isn't afraid to get heavy. The affair is sometimes a bit inconsistent when it comes to tone, as it attempts to blend the inherent innocence of childhood with the vicious circumstances of its setting, but it hits the right notes when it needs to. A large part of why it's so successful is that its lead actors are remarkably good, especially considering their young age and lack of experience. They ground the already grounded experience and make caring for the characters actually rather effortless. Ultimately, this is a well-made and compelling drama. 7/10

Dark, brutal & heartbreaking yet pierced with an unfeigned tenderness, Tigers Are Not Afraid (also known as Vuelven) blends the elements of horror, fantasy & social realism into one passionately crafted & exquisitely narrated fairy tale that's tough & touching in equal doses, and is further bolstered by strong & sincere performances from its young, novice cast.

Written & directed by Issa López, the film paints an unflinching portrait of everyday tragedy unfolding in modern-day Mexico, brought upon by the cartel violence in the wake of the ongoing drug war, and captures it through the eyes of children who are left orphaned & traumatised by these day-to-day atrocities. López's direction is top-notch, and her documentary-like approach delivers the desired impact.

The tone & treatment of López's latest film bears striking resemblance to the works of Guillermo del Toro but there's also an uncompromising quality to it that gives the story her own touch. The interaction between the kids retains its childlike simplicity, the unity they exhibit as a group brims with an authentic feel and these child actors with no prior acting experience are surprisingly natural at articulating the necessary emotions.

The horror aspects are neatly carried out, for the film's deserted setting & uncanny aura reeks with terror, plus the jump scares are effectively carried out as well. But the spectral touches are still no match to the terrifying & harrowing barbarity that's perpetrated by the cartels in this picture. At well-paced 83 mins, the narrative isn't longer than it needs to be although there are a few hiccups as far as editing goes.

On an overall scale, Tigers Are Not Afraid is an unadulterated depiction of the loss of innocence that's as gripping as it is disturbing, and as intelligently executed as it is deftly layered. Steered by Issa López's no-nonsense direction & excellent writing, strengthened by its raw camerawork, menacing score & impressive use of genre(s) elements, and all the more uplifted by stellar work from its novice cast, this Mexican horror lives up to its reputation for the most part, if not all. A definite must.

In the slums of Mexico five young children try to survive the horrors of cartels, drug trafficking and outright kidnappings. Their most recent member, young Estrella (Paola Lara), has managed to gain three wishes, but like in many fairy tales, especially the darker ones, you have to be careful what you wish for.

I saw Tigers Are Not Afraid on a film festival. It was marketed as "The best Guillermo del Toro film he never happened to direct", which has some truth to it. The film has a lot of similarities with Pan's Labyrinth. The realms of fantasy mixing with the horrors of the real world, a young girl trying to survive and even thrive in such an environment and the overall mood being quite not as depressing as one would assume, given the subject matter.

First of all, I have to praise the child actors. All of them are terrific and more than manage to sell the horror, desperation and determination needed of them. Paola Lara as Estrella is of course excellent, but the best performance was without a doubt given by Juan Ramón López as Shine, the leader of the children. Especially the way he managed to sell the combination of toughness and vulnerability he can only show to Estrella and even then only under duress.

Unfortunately I was not so impressed by the fantasy elements. They didn't seem to have any reason or rhythm to them. The actual three wishes were just about perfectly handled, but everything else fell flat. For example, the children have this phone with a dragon on it. At one point the dragon takes flight and flies out to explore. Then, a few scenes later it comes back. And it's not on the background, either. The camera follows the dragon and the story is briefly paused for it to do so. But for what? Nothing it gained, it doesn't connect to anything and even the children's reaction is pretty blase. The whole film is full of little moments like that. Those things that stay on the background or are just there to be window dressing are perfectly fine, just world building, but quite often the film focuses our attention on them. And usually for nothing.

Tigers Are Not Afraid needs a bit polish and thought given to its elements to be a truly great film. As it is, it's worth a watch if you're a diehard del Toro fan and want something in his particular style.

This is a great and necessary addition to the horror genre, and is very much worth a viewing for those who think horror genre can't blend with realism and fantasy to create a metaphor of beauty.