Review of the film The Wild Region (The Untamed) by Amat Escalante
A cinematic experience as strange as it is unsettling
This is not a comfortable viewing experience: this highly singular feature film, which cultivates mystery, is filled with unsettling scenes. It begins with Verónica (Simone Bucio), a beautiful young woman who has been visiting a cabin for some time, where she has relations with a strange, extraterrestrial-looking creature. The creature has the power to provide unparalleled pleasure, but it is also addictive and can end up hurting its partners. This is what happens to Verónica, who is bitten and goes to a clinic for treatment. There, she meets the handsome and gentle Fabián (Eden Villavicencio), a nurse. Concerned about his patient, whose bites he believes are connected to a dog that may have rabies, he suggests that they see each other again. They become friends and grow closer. When Verónica is denied by those who keep the creature the chance to continue having fun with it, she is advised to bring someone new. She thinks of Fabián…
At the same time, we discover the daily life of Fabián’s sister, Alejandra (Ruth Ramos), who is the mother of two children and married to a violent man, Ángel (Jesús Meza). Their intimacy is limited and mechanical. What Alejandra does not know is that beneath his exaggerated macho attitude, Ángel is in fact a gay man in the closet… and has been having an affair with Fabián for some time. The characters’ paths intertwine, between liberation and danger.
The creature as a metaphor for toxic passions
The creature in the film certainly makes an impression. Highly repulsive, it frightens us, and it is all the more unsettling to see it mate with different protagonists in carnal scenes that are, to say the least, disturbing and striking. While director Amat Escalante is keen to leave his film open to interpretation, it is easy to see the creature as a metaphor for toxic, passionate relationships: we are curious, we give ourselves over, we become addicted, and even if it hurts us, we keep returning to it, even if it means putting ourselves in danger.
A film that shakes you up and leaves a lasting impression
Forbidden pleasure and destruction mingle in a feature film with a strange rhythm, at times evoking the atmosphere of Pasolini’s Theorem. You come away shaken, and the film leaves a real mark.
Film produced in 2016 and available on VOD.
Other films with a strange and singular atmosphere
- Devouring
- Almamula
- Playdurizm
- Crash
