NARRATOR: “Welcome back to Reign of Terror 2019! 31 straight days of horror movie reviews and interviews. Today’s episode will feature our own Andrew Campbell here at One Movie Punch, who will be reviewing 2017’s Fantastic Fest feature, ‘Tigers Are Not Afraid (Vuelven)’.”
NARRATOR: “However, in lieu of running the One Movie Punch promo, we’ll be running a promo for our good friends at the Super Media Bros. Podcast. Every episode, Okami and Midnight Agent Raw delve into the culty-est of cult classics. A promo will run before the review.”
NARRATOR: “But for now, let’s turn out attention back to the fate of our host, in Part Six of “WORLD WITHOUT COLOR”.”
SCENE: Industrial hallway / Night Vision
NARRATOR: “Joseph walked forward, night vision goggles on, noticing the desert fatigues had returned to his normal clothing. He had never worn night vision goggles before, so he spent an inordinate amount of time waving his hand in front of his face...”
JOSEPH: “That’s so cool!”
NARRATOR: “...when he should have been concerned about the crash behind him, of whatever figures were likely coming after him now.”
JOSEPH: “Crash? What crash?”
JOSEPH: “Oh, that one!”
NARRATOR: “ Up ahead, a light source began to emerge, and Joseph slipped the goggles off, now able to see enough to increase the pace and make it to...”
JOSEPH: “Another room?”
ANDREW: “Yes, that’s correct. Let me just close this.”
JOSEPH: “Andrew!”
ANDREW: “Yes. Now, much like last time, I don’t have a lot of time, but we need to get you out of this world.
JOSEPH: “Why is everything still black and white?”
ANDREW: “It’s just how this place is, as far as we can figure.”
NARRATOR: “The room was lit by two lanterns, flickering against the walls, one of which was a deep, dark color.”
ANDREW: “Okay, so, it took us a while, but we’ve finally come up with a plausible solution.”
JOSEPH: “Awesome! I want to go home.”
ANDREW: “With this.”
NARRATOR: “Andrew extended his hand, displaying a single piece of chalk.”
JOSEPH: “Chalk?”
NARRATOR: “Seriously, chalk?”
ANDREW: “Not just any chalk. Magic chalk.”
JOSEPH: “What makes it magic?”
ANDREW: “Well, it was one of three pieces given to me.”
JOSEPH: “Where are the other two?”
ANDREW: “How do you think I got press credentials for Fantastic Fest and inducted into the Austin Film Critics Association?"
NARRATOR: “Joseph wasn’t happy about that, but he respected the hustle.”
JOSEPH: “All right, how does this magic chalk work?”
ANDREW: “Well, I don’t understand all the specifics, but if you draw a door on the wall over there, and wish to be taken somewhere, it will fulfill your wish.”
JOSEPH: “Seems simple enough.”
NARRATOR: “Of course, this was all a bunch of malarkey, but Joseph didn’t know that, as he walked up to the wall, drew a door, and then turned to Andrew.”
JOSEPH: “Where can I go?”
ANDREW: “I think the only rule is that it has to be a classic movie.”
JOSEPH: “That’s...”
ANDREW: “Oddly specific? Agreed.”
NARRATOR: “Joseph turned back to the wall, beginning to write out a movie title.”
JOSEPH: “Son... of... Frankenstein...”
NARRATOR: “And, of course, nothing happened, because this was never going to..."
ANDREW: “I think it’s working!"
NARRATOR: “Much to everyone’s surprise, especially mine, the chalked-out door became a real door. A real crypt door at that. Joseph walked up to it, and opened up the door, revealing the same cemetery he had started.”
JOSEPH: “Very handy!”
NARRATOR: “This is... unprecedented.”
ANDREW: “My window’s closing, but we’ve got folks lined up to carry you the rest of the way out of here.”
JOSEPH: “Window? I still don’t understand...”
NARRATOR: “But finally... Andrew began to disappear.”
ANDREW: “Damn it. Joseph, the person behind this is...”
NARRATOR: “...going to remain hidden, because Andrew would disappear just before revealing any vital information.”
JOSEPH: “Kinda seeing a pattern, here, with learning anything substantial.”
NARRATOR: “Joseph turned toward the cemetery.”
JOSEPH: “No way out but through.”
NARRATOR: “It was a cliché statement, one that could only come from someone who had been given an injection of hope. He now knew that people were working to save him, but he still, thankfully, didn’t know from who or what.”
NARRATOR: “Would his good mood continue? Find out tomorrow, in Part Seven of “WORLD WITHOUT COLOR”, when we’ll be joined by our own Keith Lyons, who will be reviewing, oddly enough, ‘Son of Frankenstein’, starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. I wonder what the odds of that are. Probably better than Joseph’s odds going forward...”
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<< SUPER MEDIA BROS PROMO >>
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Hello film fans!
Andrew here. As Halloween approaches, and the Reign of Terror draws to a close, it’s time to throw some praise on the streaming service that celebrates horror all-year-round. I’m not talking about Netflix, but props to them for their “Netflix and Chills” event which saw the release of a few horror series along with five original films, three of which premiered at Fantastic Fest. And I’m definitely not talking Hulu, whose recently-renewed “Into the Dark” monthly anthology series of holiday-themed horror has more misses than hits. You know I’m talking about Shudder.
Shudder has picked up a number of Fantastic Fest titles over the last year including today’s film as well as Japanese zombie-comedy “One Cut of the Dead”. I have yet to rate any film a perfect 10 out of 10 in my time with the podcast, but “One Cut of the Dead” may come the closest. If you want an amazing experience, gather up some friends and throw this one on before you read or hear another word.
Today’s movie is “Tigers Are Not Afraid”, the mysterious 2017 fantasy horror film out of Mexico written and directed by Issa López. Having made its world premiere at the 2017 Fantastic Fest, Shudder finally gave the film a brief theatrical run just last month before launching it on the streaming service a week later. “Tigers Are Not Afraid” stars Paola Lara as Estrella, a 10-year old girl living on the street after the disappearance of her mother. Estrella’s world is ravaged by the drug trade with gun violence an everyday occurrence. During a shooting near her school, Estrella’s teacher passes her three pieces of chalk, each of which will grant her one wish. With no family to look after her, Estrella joins up with a gang of young orphan boys led by Shine (Juan Ramón López) as they dodge the men who may have taken away their parents.
This film is engaging for all of its brief 80 minutes, helmed by a veteran writer/director telling a personal story through the medium of fantasy horror. As Estrella seeks the truth about her mother’s disappearance, she puts to use the three wishes given to her by her teacher and, just like any “monkey’s paw” tale, the results are not always pleasant. The film has garnered inevitable comparisons to the works of fellow Mexican director Guillermo del Toro for its use of surreal fantasy elements to propel the story. However, director López, likely constrained by a limited budget, makes minimal use of special effects and paints with such a subtle brush that the film is made all the better for it.
The narrative of “Tigers Are Not Afraid” is told through Estrella’s eyes or those of the boys with whom she runs. The interactions with the adult world are, outside of a few flashbacks, never positive. The children live together under a scrap-metal lean-to on the roof of vacant building in a sparsely populated city showing the weight of years living under cartel rule. Even the police officers are of no help to these children when it becomes clear they are on the run from a drug boss and a crooked politician. The acting is a little uneven, which you would expect from a cast of children, but Paola Lara is perfect throughout in the lead role. Her interactions with the boys are heartfelt and her encounters with the supernatural elements of the film are filled with genuine terror.
What makes “Tigers Are Not Afraid” fantastic? Horror films are at their best when they come with a relevant social message. “Get Out” dealt unsubtly with racism and the original “Dawn of the Dead” took on consumerism. “The Babadook” serves as a metaphor for mental health, while “It Follows” arguably did the same for HIV. “Tigers Are Not Afraid” shines a light on a grim reality facing many families south of the border.
“Tigers are Not Afraid” (2017) is a tale of the true casualties of the violent drug trade, the children forced to cope with tragedy. Issa López’s film is a powerful rebuke of the glamorization of narco-culture. Fans of the aptly named “Terrified” (One Movie Punch #404) or 2007’s “The Orphanage” from “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” director J.A. Bayona will enjoy this film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 76
One Movie Punch: 9.0/10
“Tigers Are Not Afraid” is not rated and is currently streaming on Shudder.
With the Reign of Terror drawing to a close, I look forward to being back on the podcast each Friday bringing you the best films out of Fantastic Fest. The 2019 festival wrapped up a month ago and it brought in a bumper crop of movies from around the world that push the envelope of genre filmmaking. Many of these films are released in theaters or through Netflix in the weeks directly following the festival, so I may be popping in a little more frequently during November. Come back next week and we’ll discuss Taika Waititi’s brilliant satire “Jojo Rabbit”.
