The family that prays together, stays together.
The Lowdown: We Are What We Are is a subtle and unsettling horror drama that centers on a reclusive family with horrifying secrets (a.k.a. families in horror films). A remake of the 2010 Mexican film of the same name, We Are What We Are is an effective slow-burner filled with great performances and tension.1. The Plot: The Parkers are a seemingly normal, if reclusive, family. Frank (Bill Sage), the patriarch of the family, strongly follows the family’s ancient customs, ensuring that they are maintained. When his wife Emma (Kassie Wesley DePaiva) dies during a torrential rainstorm, daughters Rose (Julia Garner) and Iris (Ambyr Childers) are forced to assume the responsibilities once held by their mother. As the downpour continues, outsiders begin to suspect that there is something odd about the Parkers.
2. The Characters: One of the strongest elements of the film is the superb acting all around. Bill Sage (Precious, Boiler Room) is Frank Parker, the patriarch of the family who rules with an iron fist, determined to follow through with his family’s ancient traditions until the very end. Sage is best when he is unpredictable; even the slightest deviation from tradition can rile him up and cause an intense outburst from him. The daughters, Iris and Rose, played by Ambyr Childers (2 Guns, The Master) and Julia Garner (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Martha Marcy May Marlene) respectively, deliver equally great performances. Since their mother passed away unexpectedly, Iris and Rose are forced to carry out the tasks their mother did, but without any true knowledge of what she did. Things that they are expected to do are horrifying, and the emotional impact on the daughters is devastating since all they want is to be normal. The performances by Childers and Garner help elevate the film above being simply “good”.
3. Slow-Burning Horror: It’s difficult to pull off a slow-burning film of any kind since viewer attention spans are becoming annoyingly shorter. Yet, I find that horror films that take their time to build the story, the characters, the mystery, and the suspense to be far more satisfying and intriguing than horror films that go for jump scares and shock value. It’s a sign of better filmmaking and writing, especially when a slow-burner can maintain one’s attention for the entire duration of the film. We Are What We Are is more of a family drama than a horror film, and the horror element stems from what the family does and the devastating effect it has on the youngest members of the family. With that, there is a better justification for slowly building the mystery behind this reclusive family and having the viewer become increasingly unsettled as the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. If this is the kind of horror film that interests you, I recommend We Are What We Are, as well as The Innkeepers.
The Bottom Line: We Are What We Are may not be as fast-paced or jump-scary as you might expect, but I promise that will have your attention all the way through. Great performances and intense suspense keep things interesting and exciting. There are many emotional scenes in the film that are very effective, if deeply disturbing. If you’re looking for a different flavor of horror film instead of “slasher”, “ghost story”, or “found-footage”, then We Are What We Are may very well satisfy you.
We Are What We Are is property of Belladonna Productions, Memento Films International, and Uncorked Productions. This review was written by me.
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