As the aftermath of a near-apocalypse-inducing pandemic ravages the landscape, three brothers navigate the world which they have inherited. Alone, hungry and hiding a terrible secret in the basement of their dwelling, the trio must not only contend with the dangers of the outside, but also with the typical tribulations that come with being boys.
Directed by Isaac Ezban, Párvulos centres around a trio of brothers – eldest Salvador (Falid Escalante Correa), Oliver (Leonardo Cervantes) and youngest Benjamin (Mateo Ortego Casillas). After the pandemic took their parents, they are left to fend for themselves, hiding out in an abandoned farmhouse whilst attempting to hunt and scavenge for food in the surrounding wooded areas. The oldest brother Salvador tries to keep his youngest brother from the horrific truth of the situation they exist in, yet soon realises that the world has been left bereft of innocence. After a series of mishaps exposes young Benjamin to the secret in the basement, his childish naivety seeks to bring some joy back into the brothers’ lives, but to what expense?
Despite rooting itself in a very on-the-nose world of viruses and vaccination complications, Párvulos primarily concerns itself with the impact of a post-pandemic era on young people, exploring the ramifications of isolation, having to grow up too fast and taking on responsibility way beyond their years in the absence of parental figures. Salvador is played by Falid Escalantes Correa with a stoic yet painful strength, longing for a physical and emotional connection with someone beyond the familial unit. Oliver is anxious, terrified of losing his brothers due to what he had to see as a young child, and little Benjimin is full of childhood innocence, wishing to exist as a somewhat normal family.
Once the secret is revealed and the parents re-enter as zombies, the film takes on a whimsical approach with comical flourishes, and this is where the colour technique of the cinematography shines through, however, as we approach the final third of the film and are further introduced to another danger that exists in this world, Párvulos does take on a more rushed approach, with very little indication of this outside threat previously.
Párvulos is primarily a coming of age familial drama, with flecks of zombie horror which explores how world events affect the youth of the population and the changing aspects of family dynamics set amongst a crumbling society.
3.5 Screams out of 5
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