Tigers Are Not Afraid
A Mexican town held hostage to a drug war is the setting for a creepy fairy-tale about a young girl who forms an alliance with a gang of orphaned boys.
In towns along the Mexican-American border, tens of thousands have disappeared or been murdered, victims of the powerful, warring drug cartels, while children at school often have to lie on the floor to avoid crossfire. One such afternoon, Estrella receives three pieces of chalk from her teacher, who tells her each piece will grant one wish. That evening, her mother fails to come home, and Estrella wishes for her mother’s return, but is horrified when she discovers the truth concerning her disappearance. Estrella flees to the streets, joining a band of orphans, led by a boy named Shine, for companionship and protection. Soon afterward, the Huascas, the ruling drug cartel, come looking for the children, seeking a stolen iPhone in Shine’s possession. All the while, Estrella hears the insistent voices of the dead, calling upon her to enact revenge. Drawing influence from PAN’S LABYRINTH, THE MONKEY’S PAW, THE SIXTH SENSE and the darkest of Grimms’ fairy tales, director Issa Lopez crafts a sublimely creepy film inflected by real world horror.