Written and directed by Kerry Mondragon, Tyger Tyger is a desert-set story told within a world under siege from a vicious virus and stars one-half of the Sprouse twins, Dylan Spouse. After robbing a pharmacy, an unlikely trio hit the road to distribute a ‘life-saving’ medication during a pandemic – but find themselves stuck, and out of their depth, on the fringes of a lawless psychedelic city.
Tyger Tyger begins really well, the opening heist getting things off with a bang, generating plenty of intrigue. Unfortunately this is quickly lost as Mondragon opts to keep his plot obscure and vague, Tyger Tyger playing out like a freeform visual poem rather than a traditional story-led narrative. This tact can often work if you find the right audience, and whilst I’m sure that there will be many who will be drawn in by the mysteries presented, there will be a great many more that will find the project far too bewildering. One scene blurs into another and into the next with dialogue kept minimal and background characters sharing almost equal screen time with the leads. Of these supporting roles, only a couple have any real bearing on what is happening, the rest just pop up for a scene and are then never seen or heard from again.
As confusing as the narrative structure presented is, Mondragon at least ensures that Tyger Tyger looks absolutely stunning. With so much of the film set in outside spaces, the audience is treated to Mother Nature looking absolutely glorious. The bulk of the story plays out within the desert wastelands, and Mondragon displays it in all its dirty and hazy majesty. The colours, especially in the nighttime portions, are vibrantly rich and, when viewed on the right set-up, will make the viewer feel that they are sitting around the fire in this strange and curious environment. The score is also a major selling point of the film and one that once more points to Tyger Tyger working much better when presented as feature-length audio and moving visual art installation.
Imagine if you will that Nomadland and Southland Tales had a baby and the result might not be too dissimilar to the film Tyger Tyger. The product is a film whose story is slightly strange and not quite formed, but is told accompanied by high quality and luscious cinematography.
Tyger Tyger arrives on Digital HD on 28th June 2021.
Tyger Tyger
Summary
A beautifully constructed film, Tyger Tyger nevertheless suffers from a distinct lack of narrative direction and clarity that makes it a tough viewing prospect.
