When the patriarch of the family passes away, the teenage children must take responsibility for the family chores: the preparation of the rituals, the hunting and putting the all-important m... Read allWhen the patriarch of the family passes away, the teenage children must take responsibility for the family chores: the preparation of the rituals, the hunting and putting the all-important meat on the table. These newfound responsibilities are even more daunting, however, when yo... Read allWhen the patriarch of the family passes away, the teenage children must take responsibility for the family chores: the preparation of the rituals, the hunting and putting the all-important meat on the table. These newfound responsibilities are even more daunting, however, when you live in the city and happen to be a family of cannibals.
- Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations total
- Sabina
- (as Paulina Gaitán)
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Featured reviews
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.
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.
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.
"Somos lo que hay" is an unpleasant Mexican low-budget movie with displeasing characters. A couple of days ago, I saw the good 2013 remake and I was curious to see the original feature. I found it very disappointing, with nasty characters and situations. Further, it is difficulty to say if the author of this horror movie wishes to show social problems in Mexico (poverty, prostitution, corrupt police etc.), drama or whatever. My vote is four.
Title (Brazil): Not Available on Blu-Ray or DVD
Did you know
- TriviaAlan Chavez - who plays Julian - was involved in an argument amongst his friends which escalated into gunfire. More shots were fired when the police arrived on the scene, with the result that Chavez was mortally wounded. The film is dedicated to him.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Horrible Reviews: Best Movies I've Seen In 2023 (2024)
- How long is We Are What We Are?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $338,166
- Runtime
- 1h 30m(90 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1