We Are What We Are

Even if you don't know what the movie is about, the opening scene will make it very clear, without any words, what is about to come. And it is shot very nicely (in a raw way). And the movie does hold onto that mood until the end of it.

Unfortunately I did not like the ending that much. It's not about how a movie ends, but about how people act (or react) to the circumstances. We are used to certain behavior in movies, but it'd still be nice to see people actually having a mind of their own and not something that feels "scripted" (no pun intended). But I might be nitpicking. If you like movies to be weird and all over the place and a horror movie mixing drama and social commentary, then you found another "candidate" ...

Although more raw & primal than Jim Mickle's remake, We Are What We Are (also known as Somos lo que hay) fails to make the most of its succulent premise and is an unpalatable entry in the world of cannibalism horror that neither features a good dose of gore nor packs a meaty plot or fleshed characters to keep our interest alive.

The film follows a family that's forced to fend for themselves when its patriarch dies under mysterious circumstances. With their sole provider gone, the children are left with no choice but to take up new responsibilities, and must do whatever it takes to put the necessary meat on the table and keep their family's ritualistic traditions alive.

Written & directed by Jorge Michel Grau, this Mexican horror tries to make us invest its world through its story but the plot is too weak & characters too distant for that to happen. Add to that, much of its violence takes place off-screen and lacks the flesh-tearing shock appeal that viewers expect in a cannibalistic tale. The entire approach is a total misfire.

More than anything, We Are What We Are is a story of family & responsibility that's driven by the internal tensions between the surviving members who must find out a way to fill in the void left in the wake of the family head's demise. Performances are serviceable at best but it's all spread unevenly, which in turn makes its runtime feel longer than it is.

On an overall scale, We Are What We Are had potential but the film is never sure of what route to take. The narrative decision might have worked if the script was more polished & characters better sketched. It's watchable, no doubt, and contains a few disturbing scenes but the overall experience still leaves an unsatisfactory aftertaste. A rare example that was bettered by its Hollywood remake.

Billed as a 'cannibal gore-fest' (on the DVD cover) this definitely is not. It so isn't, but what it is, is a clever drama about cannibals, with very little cannibalism. It is very much like, and maybe fueled by films like 'Let Me In'.

The film is about a man, who is a father and husband that dies from flash poisoning. He leaves behind a family of four, who will now have to hunt for their own flesh as he was the provider. The family is led by an erratic mother, intent on keeping the 'ritual' alive and keeping her family hidden. This however remains difficult as the sons try to step up and do the hunting (of prostitutes) and mess up, alerting local detectives and prostitutes.

The ending is good and some elements make this film a creditable experience, with some unique flavour (not blood) and I am left admiring it for what it is.

After years of well crafted TV serials, we are used to a specific language of spoon-fed clues to describe the strange, alien or fantastic. In this Mexican "cannibal" film, the audience is made to work fairly hard to discern anything.

The grinding logic of the film eventually pays off. The closing doors, family stress and fear of the outside from inside the dysfunctional home paint a picture of a family that is twisted yet recognisable.

There is a possibly fantasy link that explains things, but that is thrown in. Poverty, or inability to control the future is the driver for everything. The ending is slightly more traditional, but the experience remains unrelentingly strange.

We are what we are is the rarest of beasts, a macabre tale that has the power to delight and disturb in equal measures with its unique take on a family under turmoil. Unlike the majority of horror films that focus on the victims and their struggles against evil, this unflinching portrayal of cannibalism follows a family of killers and their struggle to survive in the harsh and unforgiving environment of the Mexican suburbs.

After the head of the family meets a gruesome end, it falls upon his eldest son, Alfredo, to take responsibility for the surviving members; his younger siblings and his grieving mother. Each of them have their own agendas and it is not long before these conflicting issues result in horrifying consequences for both the family and the people they prey on for food. The less known about the storyline the better, which is why my description of the plot is suitably vague, as the majority of the films more unsettling moments come as a complete surprise for the unsuspecting viewer.

Apart from Antichrist, this is the only film I have viewed where audience members have left the cinema during the more graphic scenes, and this certainly confirms that We are what we are is a very powerful film, not for the faint hearted but very rewarding for those that persevere. With cinematography on par to that of the hauntingly beautiful shots seen throughout Let the Right One In and a subject matter as realistically brutal as the gruesome deaths of the unsuspecting victims in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this is a perfect example of an atmospheric horror that chills you to the core by combining a stark yet realistic situation with unflinching scenes of violence.

The majority of modern horror films rely on cheap scares and shock tactics to batter the viewers senses and it is encouraging to see that there are still directors out there who clearly have a great respect for the genre and shift their focus towards creating a brooding atmosphere and a compelling storyline. This brave and accomplished attempt at reinvigorating a stale genre certainly marks Jorge Michel Grau as a promising director for the future and whilst We are what we are may not be the masterpiece that horror fans are hoping for, it certainly comes pretty damn close.

8/10