Amat Escalante’s “The Untamed”

The Untamed (2016)

A compelling drama about addiction, love and sex with a single science fiction conceit told in earnest

Often described as science fiction-horror, this isn’t horror and it handles its sci-fi element with such matter of factness that it barely registers. This has more in common with Almodovar than Villeneuve both in theme and tone. The fantastical element of the film, a representation of lust, is a kind of macguffin. Whereas Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water feels like a genre film with drama, The Untamed feels like a drama with the fantastic.

I came across the film on BFI’s list of horror for Halloween (again, not a horror) and went into this knowing very little which is always the best approach. Most reviews I’ve read after watching reveal nearly every beat from the film which is infuriating. That said, I did find it took me time to acclimatize to the bizarre imagery of the first 3 minutes but soon after it settles into more down to earth territory which would likely disappoint anyone going in expecting a “science fiction horror”.

The story centres around a quartet of characters. Verónica (Simone Bucio) is dealing with an addiction that has turned sour. Fabián (Eden Villavicencio) is a nurse that treats Verónica and is having an affair with the brutish Ángel (Jesús Meza) who is married to Fabián’s sister Alejandra (Ruth Ramos). Alejandra wishes she could be anywhere other than where she is spending her time subservient to her husband and his family, and parenting her two young boys with little help from Ángel. Escalante gets great performances from the cast which help to keep it grounded and relatable.