We Are What We Are (Original) [Horror Movie Review]

[SPOILERS]

If you've only seen the remake, which has great moments, I'd definitely recommend the original 2010 We Are What We Are, or Somos lo que hay. It's a Mexican film directed by Jorge Michel Grau, and instead of a family where the mom dies at the start and the patriarch has to care for two daughters and an infant son, the original is essentially gender-inversed.

There's some interesting stuff not just with the matriarchal villain, but the choice of victims. After the oldest children, two sons, attempt to kidnap homeless children, the primary targets of the cannibalistic family are sex workers, and the sex workers actively seek to avenge one of the dead women, which I thought was great.

Not only that, but the police actively work with them to find the killers. One of the cannibal sons also has this seemingly plot-unrelated scene where he kisses another man, and his repressed sexuality, like the volatile home with an abusive mother, reckless brother, and reclusive sister, seem to be connected to the people-eat-people struggles in an impoverished area. The family's cannibalistic rituals are very much their routine to survive, which goes into turmoil when their patriarch dies.

In the end, I'd say you should definitely give this intense and visually striking film a shot.

Fun fact: The coroner (Daniel Cacho) is meant to be a character from Guillermo del Toro's Cronos.

Check out the original film down in the linked image below.

And also see if the remake appeals to your tastes.

#horror #movie #cannibals