The nightmare.
A young girl can’t find her mother, and she has to live with orphaned street boys who are playing a dangerous game when one of them steals a gun and a cell phone that a dangerous man wants back. The young girl still sees and hears her mother, and all indications are that she’s dead. But what does she want?
Tigers Are Not Afraid is a Mexican movie that reminded me of another Mexican-Spanish movie called The Devil’s Backbone (2001), directed by Guillermo del Toro. It’s about young children who discover early on how brutal the world is, and they have to grow up fast if they want to survive. There is no one out there who can help them.
The drug cartels are the reason that the orphan children are homeless and without parents. The authorities don’t care about the poor orphans who have to live on the streets. But even the children are not safe, because the drug cartels kill anyone who stands in their way. And no one is stopping them.
It feels like you are in a dark fairy tale for children. The movie becomes a mix of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone. The score is brilliant and sore, especially the last song that’s played when the end credits appear on the screen is beautiful. It’s haunting.
Visually, you can’t complain. The nightmare scenes can’t get any better, so this feels like a dark horror adventure for children. The child actors also impress. You will not find much to complain about when watching Tigers Are Not Afraid.
If you like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone, watch Tigers Are Not Afraid. It’s a short movie with a fantastic atmosphere and a dark and depressing story that doesn’t leave much hope. You root for the innocent children, and it’s a movie that leaves a deep impression that’s difficult to forget.