Párvulos - Fantasia World Premiere Review
Director: Isaac Ezban
Starring: Farid Escalante Correa, Mateo Ortega Casillas, Leonardo Cervantes, Carla Adell, Norma Flores, Horacio F. Lazo
Written by: Isaac Ezban, Ricardo Aguado Fentanes
Produced by: Natalia Contreras, Eduardo Lecuona, Javier Sepulveda, Isaac Ezban
Cinematography by: Rodrigo Sandoval
Original Score by: Camilla Uboldi, Edy Lan
Synopsis:
Three young brothers living in a cabin in the middle of the woods hide a dark, disturbing secret in their basement.
Thoughts:
This wasn't an easy film to watch. In fact I was questioning whether I wanted to go any further after the opening sequence in which three brothers stalk a stray dog, murder it and then lug it back to their isolated home in the woods. I'm glad I stuck with it though.
It's just a really uncomfortable way to kick off a movie and Isaac Ezban clearly knows this. 'Párvulos' is an emotional rollercoaster and after the initial upsetting scenes with the dog (and a frog too) the existential dread really starts to fester as we're introduced to the rather depressing and crippling lives the three brothers actually lead. The world has changed. A virus has decimated the population, there's no food, no electricity and a very loud monster lives in the boys basement. All they try to do is survive this ruthless new world.
Salvador (Farid Escalante Correa) is the eldest brother and the leader of the three in the wake of the disappearance of their parents. The first third of the film is all world building but the most striking thing about it is the visuals. Ezban elects to use a desaturated filter thoughout the entire picture. Not quite black and white but not far off it. The filter or colour correction wavers from time to time depending on the mood and situation the brothers are in. (I'm guessing this was done on purpose) When there's tension or conflict or danger the colours are very muted and desaturated but when the brothers feel safe or are jovial the colour seeps back in just a little bit, bringing a splash of hope to their lives, signalling that life may not always be as somber. The visuals made the film feel very ethereal, like when you're having a dream and you know it's a dream but it still feels real.
There's a twist in the film (which I won't spoil here) and whenever it is revealed the tone completely changes. So much so that it really caught me off guard. It's not a bad change and actually the tonal shift allowed me personally to become more invested in the brothers struggle. There's comical elements that begin to surface and almost take over the film but then Ezban brings it back with the introduction of a new character, a female visitor who stays the night but may not have entirely good intentions.
There's a very graphic scene that involves stomach innards and colons being torn to shreds. It is a bit over the top and feels like a little nod to George A. Romero but it was absolutely neccessry to make the film feel dangerous again. If you're an avid watcher of 'The Walking Dead' then you might have seen some of this before, not just the bodily organs being munched on and thrown around, but the moral issues that come into play. There's questioning of humanity that feels extra importantly pertinent because of the young age of the brothers and the weight that they have to bear.
Speaking of the brothers, all three of them are fantastic especially Mateo Ortego Casillas who plays the youngest sibling Benny. His raw emotion at the beginning of the film when he learns that Salvador has killed his pet frog for dinner is heartbreaking and it is him who instills so much hope in his two brothers later on.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
-Gavin Logan
'Párvulos' received it World Premiere at Fantasia '24 on July 28th
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