Apart from being a great platform for explicit and difficult content, Netflix also dabbles well in making content for children and the Chupa review shares whether it does a good job at it. This film stars Evan Whitten, Ashley Ciarra, Nickolas Verdugo, Christian Slater, Demián Bichir and Julio Cesar Cedillo, alongside other cast members. It is directed by Jonás Cuarón and is written by Joe Barnathan, Brendan Bellomo, Sean Kennedy Moore and Marcus Rinehart.
– Chupa Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
Of all the movies that feature kids trying to save a lone animal, they are mostly surrounded by high-powered technology and are way in over their heads when it comes to this. However, this film set in the 80s does away with that notion by giving these children a fighting chance against a man who is ready to use tasers and tranquilisers to catch a harmless creature.
Starting off by giving us a little introduction to his identity and his doubts regarding family gave us the context that makes his story interesting. There are well-written moments in the film that are really sweet and indicative of the innocent child-like experiences we have all had in our youth.
The story is well-structured, with initial moments of doubt, refusal of the call, acceptance and then the final conflict well done. At no moment it felt like the situation was out of place. The film does a great job of using an animal as a symbolic notion of how people from first-world countries get to use resources and steal them from people of colour.
Moreover, the idea of family and relationships are explored really well in this. It gives an idea of what a role model looks like while also employing interesting character archetypes to show us the kind of members of the family. They have their own kind of relationship with the world and the animals. Even though they’re constructed in stereotypically feminine and masculine codes, they are allowed the opportunity to be something more than that.
Coming back to the visual language, the design of El Chupacabras has been done extremely well. It does look like a vicious animal ready to attack in case of danger but is also prone to adoration and cuteness. Unlike most live-action constructions of animals, this one did seem to have their emotions seen well on screen.
Taking the main character in mind, the animal becomes a reflection of this lost animal and his life in the States. The loneliness that he feels in his home is the same kind the animal feels among humans. We do feel like rooting for these kids even though they seem naive and stupid because their reason for keeping this animal safe is something most people can agree upon.
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Chupa Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, it is a fantastic film to watch with the family. The kids are cute, their story is fantastic, and the adult figure present in this story gives as many good vibes as rainbows or rays of sunshine would give. Moreover, the usage of mythology to convey an exploitative notion seems reused but is a good modern rehash of that trope.
This writer recommends that people watch this film when they are surrounded by kids and need to watch something that wouldn’t traumatise them any more. It is a fun film, wholesome to the end and even features the 90s in a capacity that might make people nostalgic for that time. The lack of electronics and technology at this time gave the characters an opportunity to explore their interests outside of these constraints. While most modern content speaks of contemporary relationship-building tactics, this is a good deviation from that.
Chupa is currently streaming on Netflix. What was your favourite part of the film? Let us know in the comments below.