Issa Lopez directs the new Spanish language dark fairy tale Tigers Are Not Afraid (Vuelven). Set in present-day Mexico, amongst the dead bodies and detritus left behind by the country’s drug war, a group of orphaned children struggles to survive on the streets while dodging violent cartel members out to do them harm.

Estrella is a young girl who comes home one day to find her mother gone. Or disappeared is a better way of putting it, as it is likely her madre was nabbed by local drug gang members. Alone and hungry, she falls in with a group of streetwise youngsters who are homeless but have formed a sort of untraditional family. At first resistant to being joined by a girl, they eventually welcome her presence in their midst. That is until she lies about killing a gang member who wishes them ill, thus bringing the full force of the cartel out of the shadows to try to locate them and put an end to their improvised happy family.

Interwoven throughout the film, amongst the cinema verite realness, is a major fantasy component. From Estrella being bestowed 3 wishes by her teacher in the form of pieces of chalk to street graffiti coming to life, the fantasy bits seem to be part of a child’s imagination and necessary for Estrella to escape the grim reality that surrounds her. It is reminiscent of the work of Guillermo Del Toro in The Devil’s Backbone or Pan’s Labyrinth, and the kinship between the two filmmakers’ styles is obvious. Del Toro himself is keen on this flick, is quoted in the trailer, and is producing Lopez’s upcoming werewolf western genre hybrid follow up.

Having only made comedy features previously, Issa Lopez goes outside the box with this directorial effort of hers. Not in the least bit glossy, she shows Mexico’s drug war and its aftermath as dreadful and dark as it really is. She also imbues the children with a humanity that makes you feel the gut-punch all the more when they are threatened or places in violent, potentially fatal situations. 

The cast of youngsters all give real and at times heart-wrenching performances. Paola Lara as Estrella and Juan Ramon Lopez as Shine, the gang’s leader, both excel in their roles, without an ounce of the cloying cuteness most Stateside child actors seem to be cursed with.

Tigers are not Afraid is a tough watch, but it rewards the brave viewer. At times sad, depressing and even revolting, it portrays a reality many in Mexico have to face, but with a dash of fantasy gimmick that makes it at least a little more palatable. Seek it out if you are in the mood for such things. It is a fine movie and unlike anything else currently in theaters.

Recommended if you liked: The Bicycle Thief, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone

Final Grade: A

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