Tigers Are Not Afraid

Fans of Guillermo del Toro will no doubt appreciate this, as there is a huge influence shown here. It's a fantasy horror drama set in Mexico, dealing with crime, death, ghosts, loss and hope. We follow a group of kids who have all suffered loss as they try and fight their way through the gangs and cartels via fairy tales and magical realism. There are some choreographed moments in the final act that are a little too convenient, but the performances of the children are very decent, and there are a couple of violent acts I didn't see coming.

Reading the reviews, I am amazed how popular this film amongst the reviewers. For me, it was a massive, **MASSIVE** let down. On average, I am very generous with my rating on Trakt. Usually I rate 1 point, if not 2 points above the rating on Trakt. Especially when it comes to horror / thriller genres, I am super easy to please. This film gets 3/10 from me - and that is purely for the brilliant acting of the kids. They are spotless. The casting couldn’t have been done better. But that is the only good thing about the film. Above all, this film is not a horror film. Not even close. It is not a thriller either. It is simply a drama film, trying too hard to give a message to make the film feel like it is one of those “yeah, I didn’t understand the film and that’s why it’s great ‘cos I’m cool” reactions. Sorry, not for me. Very, very disappointed.