Directed by first time spanish director Jorge Michel Grau, We Are What We Are is a sleepy thriller about a family of misguided cannibals and their struggle to survive. With a mix of clever cinematography and a haunting soundtrack the film explores the dank underbelly of urban Mexico and its colourful residents from prositutes and rogue cops to gay teens.
When the families father starts to cough up blood and collapses dead at the local shopping centre his teenage sons are bolstered with the responsibilty to run the family watch business and, more chillingly, the preperation of an unsuspecting human sacrifice for the families gristly rituals.
As the mother falls into a state of depression and grief, slipping from mute mourner to melodramatic hysterics, a power struggle begins between meek and mild Alfredo and his hot headed brother Julián to decide who will be in charge of collecting the families next human feast. Sabina encourages Alfredo to take the helm, his attempts however end with a beaten prostitue, due to their mothers great distaste for ladies of the night, and a fleeing homosexual who alerts the police of the families sinister intentions.
The slow, drifting pace of the majority of the film is contrasted somewhat abruptly by the actioned packed ending which sees the film reach its climax. As the cannibals begin their gristly ritual, the only real scene of gore for those expecting a blood feast, the familes home is surrounded by police leading to a showdown of blood and bullets.
Despite its faults, We Are What We Are is an interesting exploration of the characters that make up the family of cannibals. Grau shows his potential as a director creating a film that draws similarities to Swedish horror Let the Right One In by creating this original and modern twist on the cannibal film.
Director: Jorge Michel Grau
Starring: Paulina Gaitan, Francissco Barreiro.
Distributor: Artifical Eye
Out: Now
Rating *** (3 stars out of 5)
Louise Buckler
