Tigers Are Not Afraid
skillfully navigates the profound effects of the Mexican gang war on children in this visually striking and poignant film.
Where to watch: AMC+, Amazon, Sling
Content warnings: war, gang violence, abduction of women and children, the murdering of women and children
Tigers Are Not Afraid is about a band of orphan children navigating life, protecting themselves from the gangs that seek to abduct or recruit them. The movie follows a young girl’s journey after her mother goes missing.
Ratings (out of 5)
Jump scares: 👻
Blood:🩸
Psychological & Suspense: 💀💀
Grief: 💧💧💧💧💧
Worth the Watch?
YES! I have to say this movie is one of my favorite movies. And with that, it is a hard watch. I am not a big crier and this movie got to me. Tigers Are Not Afraid, created by Issa Lopez (showrunner for the newest season of True Detective) and released in 2017, skillfully navigates the profound effects of the Mexican gang war on children in this visually striking and poignant film.
The movie captivates with its visual brilliance and whimsicality as graffiti springs to life on walls, a trail of blood transforms into intricate patterns on the walls, goldfish gracefully swim in a concrete hole in the floor, and a majestic tiger leisurely lays on the floor of an abandoned building. Tigers Are Not Afraid infuses beauty and a sense of play into an otherwise devastating subject matter. Examining it from a thanatological perspective, the film explores themes of traumatic grief and ambiguous loss, offering a unique and compelling exploration of the psychological impact of the conflict on its young protagonists.
Spoilers ahead-read with caution
“We forget who we are when things from outside come to get us.”
The film unfolds with Estrella's odyssey, triggered by her mother's mysterious disappearance and her school teacher's gift of three magical pieces of chalk, each capable of granting a wish. Her initial desire to reunite with her mother materializes as a haunting apparition suffocated in plastic. Already immersed in the throes of ambiguous loss—the kind experienced when someone is either physically missing, as in abductions and war where we do not know if they are dead or alive.
With nowhere to go, Estrella is thrown into the company of orphaned boys. Orphaned boys who, too, are experiencing ambiguous loss and traumatic grief. Some of the boys do not know what has happened to their loved ones. Others, like Shine, lost his family in a fire set by the gang, Los Huascas.. His loss is traumatic. Traumatic grief is the grief we experience when we lose someone in a traumatic way, suddenly and violently. Estrella becomes entangled in Shine's plot involving a stolen phone and gun. To gain acceptance, she's coerced into avenging the abduction of Morro and other victims. Reluctant to commit murder, Estrella strategically wishes for the gang member’s demise, leading to his appearance with a fatal gunshot wound. Liberating the kidnapped children, including Morro, she navigates the perilous path of acceptance.
Los Huascas are now seeking the children, not only for the phone but also for the death of their friend. When they find the children, Morro is fatally shot. The children have a funeral for him, laying him in the grass in front of a glassless window inside the abandoned building they now call home. Later Pop and Tucsi (two of the boys) place Morro’s body in a crate and wheel it over the edge into the water.
“tigers are not afraid. They went through all the bad stuff. And came out the other side. They are kings of this kingdom of broken things. Because we all have to remember we are princes. Princes. Warriors. And tigers. Tigers are not afraid.”
Her final wish, bestowed upon Shine to erase a burn scar, takes a tragic turn when he falls victim to Chino's (the leader) pursuit of the children. Estrella, with the help of Morro’s stuffed tiger, is able to lead Chino to the room of the dead, who kills him. She is greet by Shine outside the door, she hands him his lighter. He enters the room and the closed door is illuminated with fire. Before Estella enters the field of grass, she sees a tiger and we hear Shine’s voice say,
“tigers are not afraid. They went through all the bad stuff. And came out the other side. They are kings of this kingdom of broken things. Because we all have to remember we are princes. Princes. Warriors. And tigers. Tigers are not afraid.”
**End of Spoilers**
Diving Deeper
Tigers are not afraid is able to show the complexities of grief. From children playing to processing their losses to engaging in a funeral for the traumatic loss of their lost friend. Rituals are necessary in our grieving processes, they provide closure and enable healing. It is a way to say goodbye. Often times funerals are spaces to remember and help us accept the loss. Once we have accepted the loss, we can move into adjusting without the person and ultimately make meaning.
Tigers are Not Afraid illuminates the ambiguous loss experienced when we have a missing loved one. According to Boss (2009), ambiguous loss is unclear (incomplete and uncertain), traumatic, a relational disorder, externally caused (illness, war), and confusing and incomprehensible. Ambiguous loss leaves us without a sense of closure or complication. If leaves the door open for possibilities and what-ifs.
Tigers are Not Afraid demonstrates the trauma experienced when we experience traumatic loss. Witnessing violence is traumatic, and all the children in Tigers Are Not Afraid live in a world where they are not safe and cannot feel safe. Trauma occurs when we experience a life-threatening or perceived life-threatening event or events. And it is more than that; it occurs when we are unable to escape harm that causes emotional, psychological, and physical distress. The children in Tigers Are Not Afraid are experiencing trauma regularly, if not daily.
According to Maria Yellow Heart Brave Horse, common symptoms of unresolved grief (common with ambiguous loss and traumatic grief):
•Survivor guilt
•Depression
•PTSD symptoms
•Psychic numbing
•Fixation to trauma
•Somatic (physical) symptoms
•Low self-esteem
•Victim Identity
•Anger
•Self-destructive behavior including substance abuse
•Suicidal ideation
•Hypervigilance
•Intense fear
•Dissociation
•Compensatory fantasies
•Poor affect (emotion) tolerance (Brave Heart, 1998)”
And deeper:
Grief tending is a necessary part of grief, even when the loss is ambiguous and traumatic.
When tending your grief:
Connect with nonjudgmental empathic people who can listen and be present (this may be a counselor, therapist, or support group)
Create ceremonies and rituals to connect with your loved one
Participate in community rituals and celebrations
Tell the stories of your loved one and reminisce
Seek spiritual, optimistic views and find meaning in your loss
Just as the characters in "Tigers Are Not Afraid" find solace in shared experiences, those navigating their grief journey are not alone. Seeking support, participating in rituals, and finding new facets of oneself are crucial steps toward healing. As the film's characters, like warriors and princes, confront the kingdom of broken things, so too can those grappling with grief find hope in their resilience and shared humanity. The film's haunting beauty serves as a testament to the indomitable spirit that can emerge from the darkest corners of loss. In the echoes of Estrella's journey, a poignant reminder resounds: "Tigers are not afraid.
Want more?
Tigers Are Not Afraid is a stand-alone movie.
Children of the Corn is a good place to start if you want a horror movie with children as the lead.
New movie review on Wednesdays
Is there a movie you’d love to discuss or want me to review, please comment.
Works Cited:
Boss, P. (2009). The trauma and complicated grief of ambiguous loss. Pastoral Psychology, 59(2), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-009- 0264-0
Brave Heart, M. Y. (1998). The return to the sacred path: Healing the historical trauma and historical unresolved grief response among the Lakota through a psychoeducational group intervention. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 68(3), 287–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377319809517532