COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - MÉXICO BÁRBARO II (UNEARTHED FILMS BLU RAY)
One of the best side effects of globalization and increased access to other countries and cultures is the diversity it delivers in the horror genre. Up until the explosion of DVD, getting access from other parts of the world, even countries right next to yours, was a bit of a challenge. Sometimes the challenge was one of logistics, like where to find a store that could help you import foreign films. Sometimes the challenge was cost, like how much would a place charge you to import something? These things weren’t cheap either. Ranging on the low end to $50 and upwards of multiple hundreds, even if you could find someone with connections to overseas distributors you may have to pay a premium just for the service itself. Coincidentally, the rise in peer-to-peer sharing and expanded access to DVD technology happened around the same time that North Americans were becoming familiar with J-Horror with films like Ringu and Ju-On starting to appear stateside. Fast-forward to 2024 and you can’t help but come across content from all over the world. Whether it be on Netflix or boutique labels releasing obscure cult films from other countries, there is no barrier to accessing films from different cultures anymore. This is why it is great to see a Mexican horror anthology making its way into our review pile. Released by Unearthed Films, México Bárbaro II is a collection of stories from South of the US Border that focuses on the unique mythologies and legends of the culture. Are these stories even scarier in Spanish, or do they fail to connect regardless of language and location?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
In this new horror anthology, 9 Mexican directors come together to narrate more traditions and brutal, ruthless, and bizarre legends of their country. México Bárbaro shows the world the parts of their popular culture, from sweet stories told by their grandmothers to the dark and disturbing ancestral culinary bloody rites.
HOW IS IT?
México Bárbaro II (henceforth referred to as “MB2” for brevity” is quite an accomplishment. For one, it packs nine (9) stories into a meager 97 minutes. And for another, it is one of the more even and consistent anthology films that we’ve come across. While these two aspects work in the film's overall favor, it also doesn’t escape some of the trappings that are common with anthology films. These slights don’t work against the film too much, and considering just how many different stories there are it is fair to say that there is more good than bad on display. Still, there is something about MB2 that keeps it from greatness beyond just the common failures of anthology films. Some of that is in the unkept promise to source these stories in the roots of Mexican culture, but that shouldn’t deter you from enjoying some exciting filmmaking from lesser-known Mexcian filmmakers.
Instead of going into each of the 9 stories one by one, it is easiest to talk about the ones that worked and the ones that didn’t collectively. Starting with the former, it is nice to report that for the most part, these stories are quite good. While some are better than others, the ones that don’t work thankfully pale in comparison to the ones that do. Things start with easily the best story of the bunch, La Leyenda De Juan Soldado. This is one of the stories that delivers both the promise of more regionally specific myths while also being the most exciting to watch. What works is the simplicity of the premise and the commitment to some nasty practical effects that tie the legend of Juan Soldado and the shrine in Tiajuana commemorating him. In a close second is what can best be described as the “Nogales Pozole Massacre”, actually titled Potzonalli. This segment combines the traditional (and delicious) Mexican dish pozole with a family who are sick and tired of their abusive patriarch. Again, a simple premise leads to some truly fun and disgusting moments seeing the family revel in delight as they make their special version of this classic dish. Finally, Vitriol is not only one of the darkest stories in the bunch, and it is also one that could easily be fleshed out further into a feature-length format film. A story about a former model who lives in seclusion after being sexually assaulted, and her blend of revenge that flips the script on her attacker while also helping to liberate her from her trauma. Thematically this is the richest story of the bunch as it speaks to how the male gaze becomes an inescapable trap holding victims of sexual assault and violence hostage. It also makes a darkly comic point about how appearances make us feel, and how freeing yourself from the rat race of aesthetics sometimes means making those around you uncomfortable. It is a densely themed, but succinctly told story that is elegantly and efficiently told.
On the lesser side of the quality spectrum are a handful of stories that didn’t work at all. The most egregious of which is Bolas De Fuego. The primary reason this story falls so flat has to do with the very intentional choice to break the 4th wall in absurd ways. Throughout the entirety of the story, random pop-up porn ads will populate parts of the screen for no apparent reason, giving off a pseudo-Warhol-esque vibe that is chaotic and nonsensical. The “story” is about two men who seem to be making porn, when their talent arrives who are certainly not what they seem. The erratic use of sounds and bright visuals are not only distracting, they don’t seem to lend anything to the narrative at all (at least from this viewer's perspective). It is the kind of story that you will either love or hate, and there is no in-between. One of the other duds in the bunch was the last story, Exodontia. This entry feels heavily influenced by Gaspar Noé with a dash of Tsukamoto thrown in. It is a rough story that deals with the very real horrors of addiction and the abuse that sex workers face. More metaphor that story, the filmmaker is clearly trying to visually connect the realities of heroin addiction with the figurative metaphor of hell and demons. Visually, it is arresting and intense. The shocking parts are hard to watch, but they get lost in the shuffle of nonsensical editing choices. More avant-garde than narrative, it is much better than Bolas, but suffers some similar issues of just being too focused on style rather than substance. Some other stories range from okay to good, but overall it is a solid anthology that is sure to please those who prefer more extreme takes on the genre mixed with some cultural lore from Mexico.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
MB2 was produced over five years ago, so the overall quality of the filming is on par with most digital film releases. The folks at Unearthed Films seem to have left the film as is without doing any sort of QA or restoration, and frankly, that's fine as the film looks as good as it ever will. Some parts are slightly grainier than others, and much of that probably has to do with the different approaches each filmmaker took to their production. Still, the colors come through brightly and the darks are nice and deep, just don’t expect there to be a lot of variance in those dark shades as you’d get in more upgraded film elements. MB2 is shown in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and the picture is projected in 1080p. Images from this release are used throughout the review and seen below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
In the sound department, MB2 has two options to choose from, both in Spanish with English subtitles. The first is a 2.0 PCM stereo mix and the other is a 5.1 DTS-HD mix. We used the latter for our review, and it sounds superb! The dialogue comes through clearly even during scenes of heightened action and music, and while the surround sound elements aren’t used strategically the entire presentation just engulfs you in the sound enough to not be much of a bother.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
When it comes to special features, some releases fare better than others in terms of content quantity and overall quality. The trend in recent years for many physical media releases is to only give the bare minimum (Special and Limited Edition releases aside), which is often some press materials like behind-the-scenes photos as well as some short featurettes if you’re lucky. While MB2 does have some of those things, specifically some featurettes on a few of the shorts, this is certainly one of the slimmer releases from Unearthed Films. That isn’t entirely a bad thing as special features can be costly to produce and given each story is only about 15 minutes long it may not make sense for there to be a commentary track, although that would’ve been interesting with all the filmmakers on it. What you do get with MB2 is decent enough even if they run a little short, and are sure to give those more curious about the production process some things to think about. A full list of special features included with this release is below.
Bonus Materials
Bolas de Fuego Featurette
Exodoncia Featurette
Juan Soldado Featurette
No Te Duermas Featurette
Vitriol Featurette
Stills Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
LAST RITES
México Bárbaro II is easily one of the better anthology films out there and gets extra credit for the cultural heritage it celebrates with some of the stories within. While it doesn’t escape the age-old unevenness problem most anthologies are subject to, it does have more good than bad and at the very least is one of the more consistently entertaining and not overlong anthology films out there. A high recommendation for those who enjoy more brutal and regional takes on horror stories!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! México Bárbaro II is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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