A coming of age dramedy, exploring the bonds between humans and inhumans
A post apocalyptic movie set after a zombie outbreak is nothing new., so you have to find an original angle to set yourself apart in this sandbox. Translating roughly as “Preschoolers”, Párvulos actually achieves this feat, not just in serving up original fare, but in pulling off the tonal balancing act needed to achieve it.
A coming of age tale, with a trio of young brothers Salvador (Felix Farid Escalante), Oliver (Leonardo Cervantes) and Benjamin (Mateo Ortega), eking out an existence after the end of civilization. A virus and a ill-prepared vaccine contributing to humanity’s fall, and turn to zombification. Despite having lost one leg, the eldest Salvador cares for his younger brothers Oliver and Benjamin. Instilling into them not just a routine, but also rules to aid their survival. They forage and farm around their isolated cabin in the woods, supplementing their needs with the occasional success at hunting. At night, they tales, play games of their own creation, listen to music, watch movies, to distract them from the land dying around them, and the threats out in the wild. But, there is a danger far closer to home. Salvador and Oliver have kept their undead parents chained up in their basement. Unable to let go, and with an intention of holding out for a cure, or rekindling that spark of humanity within them. As their efforts get underway, dangers from without and within that throw the rehabilitation efforts off course. Beyond the dwindling supplies, there’s survivors entering their area, notably a young girl named Valeria (Clara Adell) who manages to manipulate her way into the home. The biggest threat is hinted at during a scavenging expeditions, a fanatical gang that seeks to control the region and are on a collision course with this family, such as it is.
We’ve seen zombie films in the past where that spark of humanity is explored for comedic or dramatic purposes, the ending of Shaun of the Dead, Romero’s Land of the Dead, or even recently Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead spring to mind. Here its the focus of a more intimate tale, not a means to escalate the threat or just provide a means of entertainment. These kids are faced with a need to grown up, and also just don’t want to let go, unconvinced their parents are beyond salvation. Cue a series of moments and montages as these bickering brothers in arms work to adapt to the new world, and reconnect with their parents trapped within these decaying shells. Family dinners and walks in the countryside in lesser hands could come across as silly, here they feel sincere. The script from director Isaac Ezban, alongside Ricardo Aguado-Fentanes, handles this tonal balance well, adding just the right tinge of farce to lighten the mood in the face of such grim fare. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive, it’s certainly the only other zombie film I’ve seen where the undead copulate. It doesn’t embrace the wacky, over the top nature, but like Jackson’s feature, there is a tinge of humor, sadness and poignancy that permeates the gnarly fare. A glimmer of an anti-vaxxer remark aside, the one real failing in the film is it’s pace and length. It it does feel drawn out, lingering too long in moments or retreading themes to drive home a point already conveyed. A cut to, and more confidence in the film’s core would only add to it’s impact.
The film has a hauntingly desaturated look, making it akin to a distant memory of life. Monochromatic aesthetic gives way to occasional pops of color. The production looks organic, like an reclaiming by nature after humanity lost its place. In all, it’s an appropriately ruinous looking picture, aided by some impressive blood and gore focused practical effects. Despite the family vibe, there are some truly gnarly visuals here and impactful visceral moments. Some of these offer glimpses within the kids of a the primal, instinctive nature that comes to the fore as their lives, and those of their family are threatened. Physical encounters, violent and sexual, that speak to a loss of innocence. These emotional beats of the film ground the horror elements and tie back to the moral struggles these kids are facing. Survival can bring out the best or the worst in us, and for a young child plunged into desperate times, that can have a long lasting imprint. Párvulos is set in a world where living another day might mean sacrificing a piece of your own humanity. Despite the grim nature of circumstance, its story locks in on finding humanity, and indeed hope, amidst the horror.
