Frightfest Glasgow: ‘Tigers Are Not Afraid’ Review: Dir. Issa Lopez

Tigers Are Not Afraid Review: Remember when Guillermo Del Toro burst onto the movie scene with Pan’s Labyrinth? Well we might have found our next Del Toro with Tigers Are Not Afraid’s Issa López .

Tigers Are Not Afraid review by Kat Hughes.

Estrella (Paola Lara), a ten-year-old girl living in Mexico finds herself the owner of three wishes soon after her mother disappears. After her wish first – the bring her mother back wish – has some unexpectedly frightening repercussions, she finds herself on the streets. Before too long, Estrella partners up with a young boy, El Shine (Juan Ramón López), and his band of orphaned boys. The newly formed group find themselves at war with the local cartel, witnessing and enduring things that no child should ever have to.

Every once in a while a film comes along that defies words. One that is simply sheer perfection, and Tigers Are Not Afraid (Vuelven in its original language) is definitely one of these films. It’s a beautiful blend of innocence and brutality that embraces the dark fantasy ethos superbly. Issa López has crafted a sublime mix of darkness and light. Visually the film flits between sun-soaked, almost documentary-style, shots of daytime Mexican slums, to dark and magical night-time scenes. They compliment each other spectacularly and help to balance the fantastical with the real. Equally as good as what is onscreen, is the score. It highlights the more ethereal elements of the film and cements the connection to our emotions.

Watching Tigers Are Not Afraid is like stepping into a enchanting nightmare. There’s an uncomfortable darkness wrapped up in a charming package. In contrast to the darkness is there is a true fairy-tale slant to the whole affair, and the addition of whimsical animations and creatures just reinforces this. Letting our child heroes still be children is a brilliant decision. Despite the bleak things that they go through, they always have time to play games. It’s a perfect display of the resilience of youth and one that will make your soul soar.

Weaving intricately and evocatively through the uplifting scenes, this film goes to some very dark and disturbing places. Just as there are moments of heart-swelling joy, there too are instances of gut-wrenching heartache. With characters so intricately brought to life, it’s painful at times to watch their journey, but that’s what makes this film all the more special. The instances of true horror are handled deftly, López clearly knows how to tease the viewer, never giving too much away until it’s really needed.

The young cast are phenomenal. The elders of the group are barely in their teens, and the rest are much younger, yet all give startling mature turns. Each child has their own distinct personality, though it’s little Moro and his cuddly tiger that will melt your heart; the chemistry between them feels organic. Our group of orphaned boys instantly brings to mind Peter Pan‘s Lost Boys circa Steven Spielberg’s Hook, El Shine in particular is a brilliant variation on Rufio. Estrella herself is a cross between Alice and Peter Pan, she has that fierce tenacity and a quiet vulnerability.

Tigers Are Not Afraid ensnares the viewer from it’s opening story of the Prince who forgot how to be a tiger, and doesn’t let go until the credits have finished rolling. A beautiful blend of Pan’s Labyrinth, City of God and Hook, Tigers Are Not Afraid has everything you could want from a film; darkness, light, pathos and hope. To get all of this into just eighty-five minutes beggars belief and proves that Issa López is definitely one to watch. If there is any justice in the world, she has a bright and shining future ahead of her. A truly emotional movie; put simply, you will struggle to find a more perfect film than this.

Tigers are not Afraid review by Kat Hughes, March 2018.

Tigers are not Afraid was reviewed at the 2018 Horror Channel FrightFest event which formed part of the 2018 Glasgow Film Festival.