PIC of the Week – Tigers Are Not Afraid
Article series by Ray Schillaci
Image Entertainment unearths a Shudder exclusive from RLJE Films with a devastatingly beautiful and melancholy look into the world of the orphaned children of Mexico, the violence they live in and the fantasy that one of them creates to survive in Tigers Are Not Afraid. Writer/director Issa López transports us into a little girl’s life, Estrella, her world ripped apart after her mother is taken from her by a cartel and left to fend for herself. She joins a small gang of young boys to help her hide from those that took her mom all the while dealing with three wishes she has been granted and the haunting curse that goes with it.
I cannot help but be in awe of some Latin filmmakers that are able to create such remarkable imagery and take us so effortlessly into their world with poetry and grace. I recognized this first in the ’70s during a midnight screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s El Topo. He would continue to put us through unimaginable journeys that no other filmmaker could come close to at the time with the likes of The Holy Mountain, Santa Sangre and The Dance of Reality.
Guillermo del Toro would later introduce us to other fanatical worlds with Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth. I believe these two artists paved the way and ignited the fire for other visionaries. Álex de la Iglesia not only not only brought us unique worlds, he peppered them with humor and a frenetic style that can be hard to keep up with: The Day of the Beast, The Last Circus and the wonderfully quirky Witching and Bitching.
Paul Urkijo Alijo thrilled audiences with his first feature, Errementari, a piece of fantasy horror involving a small village thrown into chaos after they’ve disturbed a hermit-like blacksmith rumored to be in league with the devil. And, now Issa López brings her unflinching vision of a child’s eye view of growing up in the most dangerous parts of Mexico with elements that reminded me of Lord of the Flies, Slumdog Millionaire and The Monkey’s Paw.
Violence erupts with gunfire outside of a school. Children hit the floor with an automatic reflex. Young Estrella is frightened and her teacher crawls over and places in her hand three pieces of chalk, telling her they are her three wishes. Later, the school is closed indefinitely. On her way home, Estrella sees a dead body on the pavement. The blood from the body follows Estrella home. Fantasy and reality merge in a very subtle way. Estrella discovers her mother gone. With no parents to care for her, she strikes out on her own seeking shelter and food.
Estrella turns to one of her wishes, have her mother back. But, she is confronted by her mother’s ghost with a haunting message, “bring him to us.” This frightens Estrella and she leaves her home. Later, she finds another orphan looting her home and she insists that she join his gang.
The children survive off their imaginations and whatever they can steal. This leads to one of the orphan gang members stealing a cell phone and a gun from a member of the cartel. That phone holds damaging information that will cause the cartel to go after all the children.
Estrella’s fantasies and the ghostly hauntings lead the children down a fairy tale/nightmarish path that had me marvel at the complexities of the story. López’s film is daring in its challenges to a fairly new filmmaker – working with children, animals, and demanding visual effects. She is to be commended for her accomplishments and the depth of this truly personal story she has brought to the screen.
Sadly, I’ve only been able to see the DVD since the Blu limited steel case edition does not seem to be available at the moment unless you want to get into a high price bidding war on eBay. Both Amazon and Best Buy were out of stock and the Blu never hit the Walmart shelf. This being said, the film comes in a 2.38:1 widescreen ratio. The picture quality for the DVD is beautifully captured in all its darkness. Yes, there is a darkness to this film thematically and visually. But, colors never blend. It’s not like you have to squint or rewind to see what you missed. The visuals are well defined and creature effects are impressive. Even daytime scenes have a dull kind of tone, but that goes with the entire theme. This is the slums of Mexico.
There is a Dolby Digital 2.0 English track (for those who do not want subtitles) and the original Dolby Digital 5.0 Spanish language track that I highly recommend. There is such a wonderful subtleness to the sound effects. They are never overshadowed by the gunshots or fantastical creatures that pay a visit. Surround effects are used sparingly and it adds to the creepiness.
An extensive amount of bonuses have been supplied including:
• Behind the scenes look at the making of…
• Director’s commentary
• Never-before-seen casting session
• Deleted scenes
• Multiple photo galleries
It should be mentioned, for those seeking the steel case Blu edition, an extra bonus has been added. A 63 minute interview with Issa López and Guillermo del Toro, following the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival screening of the film.
Does the film sound too depressing? It can be at times. Is it hard to watch? Once again, yes, at times. But, is it well worth the experience? Absolutely! This is a beautiful drama with not only an important and powerful message, but it is also a multi-layered story with fantasy, fairy tale themes, a ghost story, survival and a message of hope. Issa López delivers an amazing new vision that thrills us, captures our hearts and makes us think all at the same time.
Lowest Price – DVD – $9.96 – WalmartWalmart
Blu Steelcase – $19.99 – diabolikdvd.comdiabolikdvd.com (coming soon)
