Parvulos

I have admired the films of Isaac Ezban for 10 years now. El Incidente was his first film in 2014. One look at that trailer- and I was obsessed- fascinated- and addicted. I wanted more. Here's an artist whose ideas are as unique as they are original, where simple logic is often dismissed in favor of abstract ideology.

Parvulos tells the story of the aftermath of a near Apocalypse. 3 young brothers- Salvador, Oliver, and Benji (Mateo Ortega Casillas) have a close bond, and their mutual struggles to survive under adversity is beginning to wear them down. All they have is each other. They are in the middle of nowhere. Their Parents appear missing- but why would they leave their children alone to fend for themselves? They hunt to eat. Vegetables will not grow. How bad is this new world? Salvador mixes honey with worms for a smoothie to start off the day. That's bad. Judging from the objects in their house, it could be the 1970s. They have no electricity, but Dad, an Engineer, showed his son how to power electrical devices by riding a bike- not an easy task for an oldest son missing a half leg. They try to stay upbeat, but that seems almost impossible in this barren world we see and know very little of.

Oh, and before I forget- there are 2 bloodthirsty Monsters chained up, angry, and demanding to be fed- but why should they care about hunting animals to feed monstrous Zombies- wonders Benjie- especially when they barely have enough food for themselves? Ok- A key REVEAL ahead concerning the Zombies identity.

The backstory - there was a Pandemic in Mexico. People died - and a new vaccine was needed. But viruses mutate rapidly- leaving previous vaccines ineffective. A Pharmaceutical Company screwed up their latest vaccine- no clinical trials - leaving those who were injected to become blood thirsty Zombies (obviously an anti-vaccine theme)- The infected hope for an antidote to this vaccine- but why the sense of urgency for this family?

The REVEAL- Hopefully for a cure for Mom and Dad-. Obviously, they got infected and had the 2 oldest boys chain them in the basement before they transformed into Zombies for their children's safety. (On a personal level - my father died from Covid- and to imply that the Vaccine is worse than the Virus is somewhat offensive) Benji was never told by his 2 older brothers, because it would be too traumatic. The irony is that In this new world, trauma was a part of everyday life. Benji finds renewed hope. He interacts with them- reads them stories and tries to teach them as they once taught him. He even attempts a family Xmas party. What some found as dark humor invoked sadness in me- it was heartbreaking to see both the before and after pictures of their past Xmas photos, and to laugh at their condition would be like laughing at the handicapped- which for me transcended any level of humor. Maybe I took the film too seriously.

The children and infected parents change roles on parenting. Their father always told them only 2 things remain constant in life- FAMILY and CHANGE. Parents are responsible for their children early in life and years later- it's the child's turn in most cultures- an analogy here for the role a caregiver of sick parents and its effects on the lives of those children Involved. Ezban said this film was very personal to him and dedicated it to his brothers.

One problem I have here is that the reveal of the Zombies identity is too early in the film- there is another 90 minutes left- it's just a reveal, not a twist. Who else could these Zombies be? There is no way that a kid with one leg and 2 little boys could capture and chain up anyone without help, especially a violent Zombie. It would have been better with a visual backstory. The scares would be greater knowing that it's the parents from the start- and seeing that transformation change the family dynamics. One other point. The parents were happy with a human meal. When the topic was brought up, the oldest brother said no- "that would make us murderers" - and yet he allowed his 2 younger brothers to make that decision 5 minutes later with him in agreement? Had the invasion of Zoe Hernandez near the end never happen- would they have continued murdering healthy humans? The number 144,000 appeared at one point. That was from the Book of Revelations.

What Ezban does so well is to focus on the dynamics of sibling relationships dealing as best they could in a near impossible situation and not deviate from that core value. There are other characters in the film worth mentioning- a scavenger, played by actress Carla Adell, who helps Salvador lose his virginity and then upon leaving has an unwelcome surprise. Zoe' Hernandez plays the leader of an opportunistic group of religious zealots (the Trumpets- The 4 Horseman and the Apocalypse) who explains that he has the only antidote- but they have bad intentions. Most of the horror in this film comes in the 3rd act- and it has a bleak bordering on cruel ending. A new family dynamic takes form. Ezban always believed that you can't have a happy ending in any horror film. In the end, the boys' purpose in this world was to stay alive and protect the family at all costs - and that remains the heart of this story- they ALL sacrifice SOMETHING- either their innocence or their lives, and in some cases- both. That is what sets this film above the competition and makes it unique. The focus remains on family.

The cast were great- highlighted by the 3 young actors who played Salvador, Oliver, and especially Benji- also the psychotic Zoe' Hernández ("We are the flesh"). Ebzan's crew- Rodrigo Sandoval, Adelle Achar, and Edy Lan- reunite from El Incidente. Achar in particular should be in demand for her excellent art/production design, and the sound design at times is incredible on building tension. Ezban's attempt to mix family drama in such a film of this genre is quite ambitious. He takes risks in unexpected ways. Despite its few flaws- the movie kept me fully invested- had an excellent pace. Ezban does a great job in fleshing out his characters, and that's inspired writing- in a personally inspirational film.

One Note- The killing and gutting of a Sheltie Dog in the beginning will probably not sit well with American Audiences- but in this new world - it was necessary for survival. Still, it's considered a taboo- "Man's best friend?" In summary- this is a very good film for so many reasons- as for Fantasia in Montreal, the best since 2023s "Red Rooms". My grade reflects that, and people should definitely make an effort to see it.