We Are What We Are

Plot synopsis:
During a torrential downpour, a woman, later identified as Emma Parker, confusedly staggers into a store as the butcher receives a delivery. After several attempts to address her, she finally responds and explains that the foul weather has strongly affected her. The butcher says that it will get worse before it gets better, and she purchases groceries. As she leaves the store, she sees a poster that advertises missing teenage girls. Before she can reach her car, she begins bleeding from her mouth and loses consciousness as she falls into a rain-filled ditch, where she drowns.
Later, the sheriff tells Frank Parker that his wife, Emma, has died. Consumed by grief, Frank does not show up to identify the body but instead sends his two daughters, Rose and Iris. Doctor Barrow, who delivered Frank's young son Rory, explains that an autopsy is mandated by the state. During the examination, he finds evidence of Kuru disease. Meanwhile, Frank is comforted by his kindhearted neighbor Marge, and, while driving through the storm later, finds a motorist in need of assistance; the film implies that he attacks her with a tire iron.
Interspersed are scenes from a book the oldest daughter is reading, a journal of the family from pioneer times telling of hunger and hardship in the winter. The men of the party have mostly been lost in the wilderness, and the women may not survive the winter.
Rose and Iris debate whether they are prepared to take over their mother's religious duties, but Iris is adamant that they perform this year's ritual. Rory, too, has trouble keeping the family's past. Eventually, Rory wanders into his father's shed and finds a young woman held hostage. Frank angrily demands that Rory leave, then forces his daughters to kill and butcher the captive. They reluctantly obey, and the entire family eats her remains after a bit of urging from Frank. Marge attempts to deliver a vegetarian meal to the Parkers, noting she thinks she heard a woman crying in the shed, but she receives an icy welcome from Iris.
Back in pioneer times the family has taken shelter in a cave, but the girls fear the father is losing his mind, keeping to himself in the depths of the cave and crying at night. Eventually he leads the girls down to where he has been keeping their only food source, one of the women in the party who died (possibly their mother), tied to a rack with pieces cut off of her. he hands his oldest daughter a knife and points to the carcass. She is grim and resolute.
Barrow, whose daughter previously went missing, becomes suspicious when he finds a bone fragment in a creek. Though Sheriff Meeks brushes off his concerns, Barrow is able to convince Deputy Anders to investigate. Anders finds more evidence in the creek, only to be confronted by Iris, on whom he has a crush. Iris leads him to a secluded spot, and Anders confesses his feelings for her. Confused and overwhelmed with guilt, Iris breaks into tears. As Anders comforts her, they begin to have sex, but Frank finds them and kills Anders. Disgusted, he tells Iris to return home.
Frank orders the girls to stay in their bedroom, and they form a plan to escape. Frank prays alone in his room, muttering that they have kept their tradition and will be joining their mother soon. While Frank recites prayers, Rose takes the car keys. When Frank prepares dinner, he takes a jar full of powder and adds it to the soup. As the children set the table, Rose notices white powder residue and realizes Frank is planning to poison them with arsenic. She unsuccessfully attempts to alert Iris, then knocks Rory's bowl on the floor to prevent him from eating. Before Frank can react, Barrow, whose research has turned up evidence that the Parkers may have engaged in cannibalism, arrives at the home and confronts Frank, demanding to know what happened to Anders and his daughter, whose hair ornament he sees Iris is wearing. Frank stalls for time as he reaches for his pistol, and Iris jumps in front of Barrow to protect him. Frank accidentally wounds his daughter, and Barrow shoots Frank.
Frank survives and knocks out Barrow. Rose and Rory flee the house in a panic, and they take refuge with Marge. Frank breaks into Marge's house and kills her, then convinces Rose and Rory to rejoin him. Back at Frank's house, he again urges his children to eat. When he tells Rose that she looks like her deceased mother, Rose bites into her father’s neck, tearing away a chunk of his flesh, while Iris stabs her father through the hand. Together, the girls bite into him, ripping away his flesh and devouring it until their father dies. Rose notices Barrow, barely conscious, has witnessed the whole thing, and she places his daughter's stolen hair ornament on his chest. The next morning, the children leave town, and Rose brings a diary that details their ancestor's memories of cannibalism, implying their tradition will live on.

Tags: dramatic, horror, atmospheric

Review:
But first, a little information about the premise: the film is a remake of a 2010 Mexican horror film that I was unfamiliar with, and it follows a family known as the Parkers.
As a massive storm batters the town, the family matriarch dies and the father, Frank (Bill Sage), is left to care for three children: Iris (Ambyr Childs), Rose (Julia Garner), and young Rory.
Their mother's death couldn't have happened at a worse time, as the family is approaching time for one of their more unusual traditions: Lamb's Day. As the family's disturbing secrets are revealed, the town's doctor (Michael Parks) finds a clue that might lead to information on his daughter's disappearance and his investigation leads him a little to close to the Parker's family tradition.WE ARE WHAT WE ARE is a tough call.
I don't know exactly what I thought the movie was going to be, but I sure didn't believe it to be a slow-burning, high-tension horror piece.
Then there's a bizarre climactic final sequence to close the movie that goes completely against all the mood and atmosphere building of the previous hour and a half to blast the audience with some shock value that doesn't quite sit right within the film.
Her husband Frank Parker (Bill Sage), who is the owner of a trailer camping area, grieves her death and forces her older daughter Iris (Ambyr Childers) to assume the responsibility for keeping the family tradition, feeding them and nursing her teenage daughter Rose (Julia Garner) and her young brother Rory (Jack Gore).
It's like everyone is trying to rise above the dreaded B level.At the beginning of the film there are thunderstorms and floods that portend the rumblings of something unusual going on, and throughout there are beautifully photographed scenes showing the drenched landscape and lush vegetation of late spring.The acting is excellent, most likely because the actors were provided with something that is rare in many films these days - a great script.
Dark, slow but steady film about the apparently normal Parker family, who share a macabre secret ritual.
While WE ARE WHAT WE ARE is not just a constant schlock-fest, there is some pretty disturbing stuff here: Short but graphic scenes of an autopsy, etc.There's been some debate about whether or not WAWWA is really a horror film, and I would vote a definite "yea" even though the whole mood and atmosphere are different (and better in many ways) than most contemporary horror flicks.
I kept asking myself; why I kept watching it, despite the deliberate slow pace and the predictability of the story, and I figured it was because the movie relied on good acting, an extreme dramatic experience, excellent camera angles, and an atmosphere perfectly in line with the depressing story of the movie.
They could have injected more thrills into the movie, especially towards the end, than just Christ-like calmness (in a deranged way of course); although the movie left me with a tinge of unpleasant feeling, which is a quality that not many horror movies manage to achieve these days; and if this was the intended effect, I must say it was effective.
In my opinion, the movie is worth watching once or twice, only if you don't mind the slow pace, which I'm sure some of the audience would find boring and might fall asleep before they are frightened, a feeling pretty much absent from the movie that is supposed to function as a horror movie rather than a sleeping pill for the majority..
The setting, characters, general plot, and ending all very significantly deviate from the original, and there is even a detailed back story added which creates, if not sympathy, at least comprehension for the acts this family does.The movie itself is beautifully developed to create both a very plausible realism and very well defined characters.
They Are Who They Are. The Parkers, a reclusive family who follow ancient customs, find their secret existence threatened as a torrential downpour moves into their area, forcing daughters Iris and Rose to assume responsibilities beyond those of a typical family.Director Jim Mickle is known for his films "Stake Land" (2010) and "Mulberry St" (2006), and has really made a name for himself as a rising star in the world of horror.
Even after I discovered their secret (which may be common knowledge by now, but I won't spoil it), I was curious to know more - the family's folklore and what would happen to them by the end of the movie.The Parker family is led by Frank (Bill Sage), a heavily bearded man of few words, the kind of guy who brooks no disobedience within his family.
Suddenly, Iris and her 14-year-old sister Rose (Julia Garner) are more involved than they have in the past, thus leading to internal doubts while they protect their little brother Rory (Jack Gore).Part of the suspense is supposed to involve what actually occurs on Lamb's Day. After Emma dies, a beloved book of hers is passed down to Iris, who learns it's been in the family since the 1700s.
But similar shots in this movie took so long to develop that it quickly became obvious what was going to happen next, sort of the opposite of what a director would want his audience to feel.When we do arrive at the concluding scenes of the film, we're met with an ending that's so over the top that it jumps over the line of sanity into full-blown ludicrousness.
The only incongruent acting comes from Gore as the young Rory; in one particular scene, he's obviously supposed to be terrified but instead just looks really mad.We Are What We Are is a movie without a point, with few new wrinkles to a specific subgenre, weighted down by slow-motion pacing and a mostly uneventful plot that culminates in an unlikely, unappealing ending..
Also incredible is their slow burning, brutal cannibal family drama We Are What We Are. Instead of an all out backwoods gore fest, we are treated with a moody, muted slow burn of a horror thriller that gets under your skin with a hot poker, and digs at our primal fears, taking sacred concepts like family and loyalty, and turning them on their head.
No matter how predictable it may seem for the majority of its runtime, Jim Mickle's We Are What We Are still manages to work as a solidly structured & cleverly paced horror that mainly relies on its carefully elevated tension & isolated setting to deliver a thrilling cinematic experience to the blood-thirsty fans of the genre & vehemently succeeds.A remake of the 2010 Mexican film of the same name, We Are What We Are tells the story of a reclusive family that rigorously follows its ancient customs & aims to keep its traditions alive at any cost.
But when an unexpected tragedy strikes during a torrential downpour, the family finds its existence threatened for the secret they've held on for so long is close to being discovered.Co-written & directed by Jim Mickle, I've been meaning to check out his earlier works ever since I watched Cold in July & after sitting through this one, I'm convinced that Mickle is one filmmaker who surely knows how to create the right mood for the desired effect because even if the secret is out of the bag pretty early on, there are still many moments here which feel downright tense, all due to its proper build-up.Cinematography encapsulates the whole picture with a sinister atmosphere that perfectly suits its Gothic plot but its Editing could've managed to get rid of few unnecessary moments.
As I've never seen the Spanish original I cannot compare the two which is probably a good thing as this stands in it's own right as a pretty decent flick involving a secretive family with an overbearing and controlling father.
Cant believe the other scores and reviews and how people liked it let alone thought it was anything other than a b movie story WATCH SOMETHING ELSE ANYTHING sister had no chemistry and you just didn't feel for them or the police guy.The mother seemed to not even be important at all after the first few minutes never mentioned again..
There have been a few poor ones recently and We Are What We Are defiantly makes up for that.Brilliant acting, really well written and has a real eerie atmospheric feel to it.Not just full of blood and gore, it has a great, unusual, quite different story line to it which slowly builds up to it's very shocking conclusion.Not usually a fan or re-makes and I have not seen the original, from what I have heard this film stands out on it's own.A film that I look forward to seeing again Great cast, great film.
Otherwise, the film is sheer tedium to watch, occasionally enlivened by a familiar supporting face (Michael Parks and Kelly McGillis particularly coming to mind).The characters are hateful, the cinematography is dull and depressing with a grey, washed-out look throughout, and the whole thing has a mundane feel to it.
It was well received by critics and I understand why because it is well shot and Mickle knows how to build the right atmosphere, but this horror film was a bit too gory for my personal taste.
It's a beautifully shot movie and the actors were all very good, and I especially liked the performance of the doctor whose daughter went missing and who gradually puts two and two together to realize what became of her.
Which is something that has to do with the cinematography and the actors in this.It will have some scenes that are not easy to watch and it does end on a note that might not sit well with a few people (but that is again something it has in common with the original movie).
I'm not averse to the slow-burn approach per se, but when it holds as few surprises for the viewer as this film from 'Stake Land' director Jim Mickle, you can colour me not impressed.The plot revolves around the Parker family, who harbour a dark secret that has blighted their ancestors for centuries.
Remake of a Mexican Film with the Same Title, this is a Slow-Burn Atmospheric Movie that is Rewarding for Patient Viewers but Fans of Zombie Fests and Torture Porn Gruesomeness will be Looking Elsewhere for Perverted Pixs.An Old Testament Type Flood is Raining Down on this Nutbag Family, Perhaps a Way for Their God to Reek Wrath on these Sinners.
The Restraint Applied to this Horror Film was a Gamble with Current Trendy Filmmakers Trying Desperately to Outdo Each Other with One-Ups-Man-Ship and Leave a Mark Among Critics and Fanboys to Stake Out Claims of the Next Big Thing.This is Well Acted and Staged and the Open Ending has Sequel Written All Over It. The Filmmakers Disappoint, However in Storytelling that is Frustratingly Ambiguous about the Family's Motivations and the Back Story is Felt to be Unclear.Overall, Recommended for the More Cerebral Horror Fans, if there are Any Remaining, and B-Movie Buffs Searching for Something Off-Beat..
it does take a while to get into things but the last 45 minutes gives you a great twist you didn't see coming So the movie is based around the Parker family, a reclusive family in small town America living in Victorian values.
The family secret is about to be exposed after many years which is sending Frank into a frenzy.The ending has a twist I wasn't expecting at all and after you find that out the movie all makes sense If you want something different, a break away from Hollywood fails of horrors or sequels this is one to watch, little gore but more thriller..
This would be hard enough, but this family are also cannibals who believe in eating humans as part of their religion.It's a horror movie.
Kelly McGillis deserves a special mention as the local doctor who figures that there's more going on in this town than he can put his finger on, but, despite his excellent performance, it still doesn't move things on as fast as I was hoping it would.I hope I haven't become completely immune to subtle horror, as, deep down, I know this film was actually quite good.
'We are what we are' is too arrogant a title which has ever been bestowed on a horror film.However,this film is not at all about arrogance or any other negative behavioral trait.It is the tale of Parker family which is facing tough times after the sudden death of Mrs.Parker in a drowning incident.This sudden demise is merely a cover for even greater things to happen as director Jim Mickle has been true to life in order to honestly depict things which might go wrong in a small town in America.Nature can cause a lot of damage in the form of bad weather.However,it is nothing compared to the damage inflicted by a man on other human beings.Much of the sense of horror is depicted through various settings namely interiors of the house where the father lives with this three children-2 young girls and 1 small boy.There is a good mix of drama in this film based on an original screenplay by Mexican writer Jorge Michel Grau.Lastly,a viewer would be wrong if "Evil dead" is considered ultimate expression of horror film.This viewer would have to watch "We are what we are" to understand how a film invents a completely new genre due to its subject matter..
(9/10)Bill Sage: Frank Parker father of the household who is showing the effects of years of cannibalism but still forcing his young family to continue to follow the traditions after his wife dies on the first day of them.
If you're looking for a different, original and scary film this Halloween season, this is one of the best horror movies in a long time..
Some of his shots will haunt you for days.If you're looking for a different, original and scary film this Halloween season, this is one of the best horror movies in a long time.
The film takes us inside the home of the Parkers where we meet family  patriarch Frank (Bill Sage), daughters Iris and Rose (Ambyr Childers  and Julie Garner) and young son Rory (Jack Gore).
This is a family that is run by the father and their traditions have been passed down for many generations and when they are revealed I was both horrified and enthralled.This movie moves at a good if a bit slow pace but with a film score that helps build the suspense and mood till, you know something has to happen, but will it be what we all expect.
Why, you may ask and the answer is that for some of us, the ones that watched the original version, there's no way that we may get to feel for the Parkers.In "Somos lo que hay" we felt horrified by this family of cannibals and I never forgot the opening scene: the father walking as some sort of zombie, and then watching his own image, and knowing the kind of monster he actually is and having a gruesome death in a shopping mall, while the janitors cleaned up the floor so fast, making life go as if nothing had happened, turning way up into the developing horror – drama, driving into a big question: who was the man and why did he died like this, so seeing the Mrs. Parker "drown" without witnesses is kind of just an unfortunate event, are you following me?
As we realize Julian and Alfredo as the rest of the family are not just demented eaters, but people trying to survive not just in their cannibalistic way, but struggling to get by, in a swap meet surrounded by poverty and mean others, giving more knowledge there than the remake that wastes more time and effort with the somber music and some sort of "relevant" late information from the gruesome autopsy.While the original provide us with a comic relief and the shocking discover of the severed finger, here the filmmakers, try harder in the opposite direction, trying to impose our empathy on two girls and a very young kid, relying more in the "horror" visuals of the autopsy or the very implausible ending than the social drama of Jorge Michel Grau' screenplay, that delivered interesting moments such as when Alfredo and Julian attempt to kidnap a couple of homeless children for their next meal, in an irrational attempt of survival while WAWWA feels like a blackmail to our senses with the beautiful young girls, and cheap scares, like the hand under the door and the young parker.The first part of the movie feels so shallow and irrelevant and following into steps of the "Lone Ranger", attempts to get us involved with the Windigo plotting ("Ravenous" 1999 -good one!-) I mean one way or the other it really gets old!
I went into this movie not realizing it was a remake and while I do wish I had seen the original version first, I'll definitely watch that at some point as well because I'd love to compare the two!After the sudden and mysterious death of their mother (which we witnessed in the opening act — it really set the tone for the remainder of the movie), daughters Rose (Julia Garner) and Iris (Ambyr Childers) are left to carry on with their domineering father, Frank (Bill Sage), and their naïvely innocent younger brother, Rory (Jack Gore).
I'd say it's about as good as the original movie; no better and not much worse.The Parkers seem like a nice conservative family but they're actually cannibals who have secretly been keeping an ancient family tradition (of killing and eating others) alive.
Parks plays an officer investigating his daughter's disappearance.Like I said the original film opened with the death of the family's father but it also revolves around the two eldest sons having to take on their dad's old responsibilities.