We are what we are

At least since the silent alien thriller "Monsters" it should be clear that Arthaus and entertainment genres such as horror or fantasy are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Also the Mexican movie "We are what we are" mixes different genres, where rather Arthaus friends will get their money's worth.

After the father died, it is now up to the eldest brother Alfredo (Francisco Barreiro) to take care of the nutrition of his mother (Carmen Beato) and his two younger siblings (Paulina Gaitán, Alan Chávez). The fact that the family is cannibals and Alfredo has to procure fresh human meat does not really make things any easier. His attempts to bring street children, prostitutes or homosexuals to the table fail miserably and the already crumbling family structure now threatens to finally break down...

"We are what we are" is undoubtedly an interesting film that wraps social and economic problems in an original way into a true horror scenario. However, the staging proves to be somewhat too unwieldy to reach the mainstream audience with this ambitious work. So the viewer never learns why the family has to feed on human flesh. Much is hinted at, but clarity does not prevail in the end. Surely, a movie doesn't necessarily get better by explaining every element of its story. But when the viewer is left in the dark about quite important parts of a story the whole time, it's just hard to get fully involved with the action.

In addition, horror fans hoping for special gore effects might be bothered by the fact that the quiet moments predominate and the horror often takes place in the background or only hinted at. But this also cleverly avoids any possible accusation of voyeurism or striking depiction of violence. Especially the subtle handling of the cruel processes in the house of the cannibal family gives a real goose bump.

"We are what we are" is an exciting film experiment and tasty Arthaus horror, which could have difficulties finding its audience because of its bizarre mixture. But for those who like it a little bloody and like to get involved in cinematic experiments, this Mexican shocker can be recommended. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp