We are THe fLesH
Sick Cave
released 18 NOveMBer 18 | 80 minutes Director emiliano rocha Minter Cast María Cid, María evoli, diego Gamaliel, Noé Hernández
Let’s be clear up front, We Are The Flesh isn’t for everyone. If we described everything it contains, this review would need an 18 certificate.
It’s ostensibly about two young siblings, homeless and starving, and their burgeoning relationship with a troll-like older man who lives in an underground nest with easy access to eggs. In return for food and shelter, the old man requires them to break personal taboos, taboos that include – but are definitely not limited to – incest, murder and cannibalism.
So far, so exploitation cinema, but there’s a reason Alejandro González Iñárritu and Alfonso Cuarón have sung young writer/ director Emiliano Rocha Minter’s praises. This is a powerful, visually impressive film, full of ugly beauty and poetic violence. Iñárritu and Cuarón know a director when they see one, and this is clearly the beginning of a long career.
Still, as gorgeously lit and shot as it is, we haven’t seen a film this grim since The Garbage Pail Kids Movie. Some cinema trips require you to bring tissues, to dab away tears. This one makes you wish you had a wet wipe to clean the screen. A vomit bag might also be a good idea.
But despite the disgust factor, this is an important, timely narrative, with a political subtext that only becomes clear in the film’s revolutionary final moments.
It begs the question: why do we watch horror movies? For some, it’s to test boundaries, to see what we can handle. For others, it’s a process of catharsis. Some people just want a date movie. If you’re in the latter camp, swerve this film like it’s roadkill. It’s probably the most disturbing horror debut since Hellraiser. It’s definitely the grossest.
The script says it best. At one key moment, a character calmly states: “This is not your average party.” This is not your average movie. Sam Ashurst