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The Film
[Rating:4/5]
From Mexico comes this shocking and well-executed bit of gory horror from director Jorge Michel Grau, We Are What We Are (Somos lo que hay). It takes a lot to stand out in the horror genre these days and one can go in two directions, either try to turn up the level of gore to new heights, or go in the more cerebral directions and make something that might be a little gory, but is also quiet and maybe thought provoking with leanings towards a thriller. We Are What We Are goes that latter route.
The story is about a family who have just lost their patriarch to death. This is a serious situation for the remaining members of the family, because their patriarch was their main provider, now they need a new provider to lead the family or they might die. Why? Because they are a family of cannibals and they need human meat to survive. The task seems to fall upon the eldest son Alfredo (Francisco Barreiro) to bring the family their victims for their meals and bloody rituals, but he seems unwilling and unprepared.
We Are What We Are is a hypnotic and visceral look at a highly unusual family bound by the secret of their cravings for human flesh. Mesmerizingly suspenseful, gory and shocking, this is horror that chills you right through to your bones.
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
We Are What We Are looks clean with fine gradations of color and detail with a film-like, cinematic quality to its AVC 1080p transfer. Blacks are obsidian, but there are moments where they crush a bit in darker scenes. It doesn’t diminish the overall level of detail, however, which is quite strong even if there are a few moments where the image softens just a tad.
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is disappointingly dry. They’ve failed to put the surround channels to good use with atmospheric sounds that could really heighten the suspense and moody feel of the film. There is a bit of ambience and some low-level sound effects in the surround channels and the front speakers have a nice wide spread of sounds that aid in the atmosphere.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0.5/5]
Only the theatrical trailer (2.35:1; 1080p/24) is offered as a supplement.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:3/5]
We Are What We Are is a well executed piece of horror that comes to Blu-ray looking great from Chelsea Cinema. Throw it in and watch it alone in the dark – if you dare.
Additional Screen Captures
[amazon-product align=”right” region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B00450AGFK[/amazon-product]
[amazon-product align=”right” region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B00450AGFK[/amazon-product]