Tigers Are Not Afraid

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.

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

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.

The film is a striking blend of realism and fantasy, it is the story of a pack of kids, orphaned by the drug wars, surviving in this underbelly of Maxico. Film's major cast is consist of child actors and they are mesmerizing to say the least.

The films follows a girl Estrella, who comes home from school, which closed early under emergency because there was gun-fight going in the neighbor. She comes home and finds out her mother is missing, to make things weird, in a good way, director added this flavor of fantasy to this. This girl has these three pieces of chalk that her teacher had given to her as three wishes she can ask for, just like in fairy tales as she tells her. So she asks for her mother to come back as her first wish, and then there's this line of blood constantly following her wherever she goes. Alone and scared she leaves home and finds a group of urchins, poor and destroyed, surviving on their own, she joins them. This group of kids is led by this small but tough-talking boy Shine, who somehow has got his hands on a pistol and a cell phone, that later plays a very important role in the film.

Film's imagery is absolutely stunning and heartbreaking, amazing metaphorical shots, some I could get some I could not but they were absolutely beautiful to look at. There is this stuffed tiger, talking, corp of Estrella's mother following her. Writer-director Issa Lopez has done a remarkable job at delivering the message of these underprivileged kids with utter realism and fantasy simultaneously. And all that with some very good performances from these are very, very young kids. If you have some free time, it would not be a bad idea to give this film a go.

I've finished watching the movie and I'm crying with joy, horror and sadness. What a shocking, real, charming, innocent, evil and disheartening movie. A work of art of the genre made of everyday reality, where an inoperative government, corrupt and alien to its governed has allowed such a real atrocity in Mexico. A lacerating, outrageous, violent reality, without law or justice and a childhood torn, strangled and murdered by interests foreign to its purity. Beautiful allegory of innocence, camaraderie and revenge of a people whose citizens, fed up with corruption and impunity, shout justice even if it is from beyond the grave.