Coming all the way from Mexico to Fantastic Fest is a film called Parvulos. Directed by Isaac Ezban (Evil Eye, Deathcember), who also wrote the screenplay with Ricardo Aquado-Fentanes (Disappear Completely, Souvenir), the film follows three young brothers. In the wake of a global pandemic, the brothers must work together to survive while also hiding a dark secret in the basement.

One of the best aspects of Parvulos is the dynamics between the three boys. All three are quite young, the oldest just being a teenager. The brothers live alone in a house tucked away in the wilderness where they can stay safe from the infected, as well as from other humans with bad intentions. The connection these boys have, while also still having the typical sibling rivalry and fights, adds great emotional depth to the film. It’s impossible not to care about these kids and root for them to not just survive, but to thrive in a post-apocalyptic world.

Unfortunately, there are many aspects of Parvulos that don’t work as well. The first and biggest issue I have is with the origin of the sickness that ended the world. Based on what’s been happening in the real world, the film explains that a vaccine was created to help fight a pandemic, but new variations kept popping up. As a result, new boosters were being made to combat the new variations. Parvulos states that the boosters were being made too quickly without proper testing, which led to the final booster changing people into zombie-like creatures and ending the world. Whether this was the filmmaker’s intention or not, this came across as extremely anti-vax, which in this day and age is just plain irresponsible and even dangerous. The other issue stems from the formatting and tone of the film. Audiences might feel like they are watching three different films strung together. Parvulos starts as a post-apocalyptic, frightening zombie flick. After that, the tone transitions more into a goofy, slapstick comedy. Then the final act of the film feels like a religious thriller. If these elements had been woven together from start to finish, the plot and tone could have worked better, but with the stark division audiences will get the sense of watching three interconnected short films rather than one coherent feature film.

A high point in Parvulos is the performances. Farid Escalante Correa (Feral) plays Salvador, the eldest of the three brothers. Salvador, despite being a teen and only having one leg, takes on the protector role in the family. Correa is great at highlighting the moments when Salvador tries to be a parent to his younger brothers, but his angsty teen moments still bubble up to the surface. Mateo Ortega Casillas (Who Speaks Love) plays the youngest of the brothers, Benjamin. Casillas is fantastic in this role, easily conveying the childish hope and optimism that goes hand-in-hand with being the baby of the family. Yet what really makes Casillas stand out is a very dramatic, heart-wrenching scene when Benjamin gives an impassioned monologue that will no doubt bring some audiences to tears. Last but not least is Leonardo Cervantes in his feature film debut as Oliver, the middle brother. Of all the characters, Oliver seems like the one who is constantly forced to act far beyond his years, despite still being afraid of the world around him. All three of these young actors are phenomenal, but it’s their on-screen brotherly chemistry that makes their bond so believable.

Audiences will be struck by the visual elements of Parvulos. Most notable is the muted color palette. While there is some color in Parvulos, most of the film dons sepia tones. It lends to the derelict, post-apocalyptic themes through the almost monochromatic coloring. The film also has a fair amount of practical effects. Specifically when it comes to the infected, the makeup gives these individuals the appearance of being both sickly and dangerous. It’s a delicate balance that the effects team pulls off seamlessly. Not to mention the blood and gore throughout, which heightens the tension and fear while throwing a slash of color onto the screen.

Parvulos has a great story and fantastic performances at its core, but the irresponsible origins of the virus and uneven tone ultimately make the film fall flat. Giving Ezban the benefit of the doubt, I hope his intention wasn’t to create an anti-vax film, but it’s challenging to ignore the problematic choices that were made. The performances and practical effects are the definitive high points of the film. There’s no doubt many audiences will enjoy this film, and I certainly am curious to see what Ezban does in the future. However, Parvulos simply has too many ideas going on to be cohesive and sends a dangerous message in the time of COVID.

OVERALL RATING: 5/10