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Toronto After Dark Review: ‘Tigers Are Not Afraid’ is a Beautiful, Brilliant, Dark Fairytale

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With Tigers Are Not Afraid, writer/director Issa López has crafted an emotionally beautiful fairytale, tangled in the horrific underworld of cartel violence in Mexico.

Tigers Are Not Afraid begins with a title card that provides the tragic, sobering facts of the drug war. Since its beginning in 2006, 160,000 people have been killed and 53,000 have disappeared in Mexico. There are no numbers for the children they’ve left behind.

via TADFF

The film follows a young girl, Estrella (Paola Lara), as she returns home from school to find her mother missing. She soon joins with a group of four orphans  – not unlike Wendy and the Lost Boys – and they form their own gang to care and watch out for each other while evading violent gangsters.

Tigers Are Not Afraid brings a heartfelt magic to a dark world by giving Estrella the power of three wishes. As each wish is granted, the twisted results weave an important thread into the stunning tapestry of the film’s story.

For a film that is so deeply rooted in the wonder, fear, and delightful logic of children, it’s vital to have an incredible cast to carry it through. López cast five children with no previous acting experience. In a brilliant move by López, they shot in chronological order and the children were never shown the full script, so their pure, raw emotion is beautifully authentic.

via TADFF

The children’s performances are incredibly honest and absolutely wonderful. Their happy, playful moments are an utter joy to watch, and their sadness and fear is completely heartbreaking.

Juan Ramón López as gang leader El Shine is particularly mesmerizing. There’s an emotional complexity in his performance that projects maturity far beyond his young age. He’s mastered the art of stillness and communicates volumes with just the look in his eyes. This kid is impressive.

via TADFF

Part of the brilliance of Tigers Are Not Afraid lies in López’s understanding of the young characters and the way children interpret and rationalize things. In one scene, we hear the kids describe the gruesome, over-the-top methods of the Huascas (the local, particularly sinister gang). Shortly after, audio from a news report playing in the background provides a far more accurate description of their criminal activity.

It’s a moment that stands out to the adult viewer, reminding you of the dramatic ways your imagination would fill in situational blanks as a child. We would jump to the most logical conclusion in a time when our logic was full of elaborate, fantastical ideas.

Other times, these youthful interpretations are far more optimistic. The children marvel at the possibilities of found objects; they make a dilapidated building into a magnificent home, full of opportunity and beauty.

At its heart, Tigers Are Not Afraid is about a loss of innocence. The reality of a constant potential for danger is never lost on these children, but because it has been and continues to be such a normal part of their lives, they adapt. As children do. They see the darkness in the world but still continue to reach for the light.

via TADFF

Supernatural elements blend with the gritty, harsh reality of the story to paint a rich, magical world. Ghostly apparitions – victims of gang violence – are not graceful, ethereal beings. They are full of tragic rage. It’s easy to feel Estrella’s fear when she’s confronted by these horrific specters.

Other moments have a warm, fairytale quality that lifts your heart in a swell of emotion. This elaborate dreamscape is held in a delicate balance that López has perfected. She makes it look so effortless and easy that it’s as natural as breathing.

Tigers Are Not Afraid deserves to be ranked in the highest echelon, among films like The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth (it’s worth noting that Guillermo Del Toro was such a fan that he’s announced that he will be producing a film for López).

It’s beautiful in every sense of the word, yet fully embraces its own darkness. There’s so much that could be said about this film, but instead, I urge you to see it for yourself. Nothing else could do it justice.

 

Check out the trailer and poster below, and click here to read about the 4 other films I cannot wait to see at Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

via TADFF

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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