feral - film review

Dir. Andrés Kaiser, Mexico, 101 mins

“Sometimes we have to forgive God’s sins”

Juan Felipe is a troubled man that experienced a troubled family life. He leaves his mother behind for a monastery where he undergoes psychoanalytic treatment. The Vatican does not approve of the treatment the monks are undergoing and the monastery severs ties with the church. Eventually Juan moves to the edge of a forest in Oaxaca where he and his closest friend find a feral child. With his background in psychology, Juan decides to take this child into his home for rehabilitation. It is an arduous journey that only becomes more intense as he and his friend make another discovery that will push Juan Felipe to the edge of his moral compass.

Religion is a curious thing. Most of the time it asks of us things that are contrary to our nature. It unites people as much as it tears them apart. Throughout the film, the church feels like a secretive monolith dominating the town and the people’s lives, and not for the better. Contrast that with the sweeping landscape of the Mexican countryside, the misty wet forest. This makes you question which is more inviting. I wanted to get lost in that forest.

Feral moves from found footage that is disrupted by static and at times grainy, which gives us a single view into what is happening in this home with an ex-priest and the children he is trying to bring into civilization and God’s grace. In fact, he names these children for the saints that were converted and martyred for not believing in the old ways. I couldn’t help but to feel that this story was almost an allegory about colonization, bringing the savages out of the cave (almost reminiscent of Plato’s The Cave?) by one that knows better. However, as history has shown, the benevolent men of God can’t always see their ways as abusive and wrong.

I have to give this film credit for filming in Oaxaca and including an indigenous woman speaking her native language. This is a wonderful to see. The entire cast give authentic performances. If I didn’t know this is a film and not a documentary, I might not have known.

This is dark, subtle psychological horror that keeps unspooling the longer you watch. The story unravels at the same rate as Juan Felipe’s ability to control a situation that is clearly beyond his capability. It begs to ask what do we do for ourselves versus for others. Can we ever be truly altruistic? Feral is the kind of film that makes a bed in your mind and doesn’t want to leave. It was creepy as it was atmospheric as I didn’t know what was going to happen next.
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This is one to watch.

Feral is showing as part of the Hola Mexico Film Festival at  Montalbán Theatre, Regal Cinemas LA Live and LA Plaza De Cultura Y Artes. in Los Angeles on 01 June 2019, if you are in the are you can purchase tickets by clicking here 

FERAL (Official Trailer 2018) from Aspect Ratio on Vimeo.