PARVULOS (aka PARENTS, 2024)

Directed by Isaac Ezban.
Written by Isaac Ezban, Ricardo Aguado-Fentanes.
Check out the trailer here!!

A trio of children (Mateo Ortega Casillas, Farid Escalante Correa, Leonardo Cervantes) make their way across a post-apocalyptic world, defending their home from outsiders desperate to scavenge from their supplies. In the basement, they hide a dark secret.

The filmmaking genius that is Isaac Ezban is not a household name, but in a true and right world, he’d be as on the tip of your tongue as Guillermo Del Toro, Paco Plaza, and Álex de la Iglesia. Ezban was the twisted mind behind THE SIMILARS, a modern-day Twilight Zone epic that should not be missed by anyone who loves horror and suspense. He was also responsible for THE INCIDENT which is another epic idea taken to horrifying levels. If you haven’t seen either of these two films, I’m jealous because you get to experience these modern masterpieces for the first time. With PARVULOS, Ezban dives headfirst into apocalyptic horror, but of course makes the movie unique and riveting.

This being an early review, I don’t want to reveal any more from the plot of PARVULOS, as there are a few juicy twists that occur as the narrative of the film. But the best way to describe the film is that PARVULOS is the zombie apocalypse through an Amblin lens. These three kids are put through the emotional wringer for most of the film, yet Ezban manages to inject so much heart and soul into their journey. Kids in peril tales were all the rage a while back, cashing in on the nostalgia craze. But while those films did a good job aping the look of those old films like GOONIES, THE EXPLORERS, and E.T., many failed to capture the soul of these films. PARVULOS recognizes that in times of hardship, kids are affected too. But also, they retain that childlike hope that often fades with age. That child-like hope, above all odds is what PARVULOS is all about.

How far would you go to save a loved one? Would you give up all of your belongings? Would you scour the earth to help them? Would you kill for them? That’s what PARVULOS is about at its core, represented by these three children walking the heavily forested wasteland to find some way to survive. Ezban is able to capture that incorruptible hope of a child and offers up a compelling story around it. You’ll feel for these children. You’ll laugh and cry and grow angry with them. This is a film that will move even the stoniest of hearts.

The child actors are fantastic here. I’ve often said, kid actors are usually a tough sell for me as it feels like lines are being fed to them right off screen because they just don’t have the emotional experience to back up their performances. These three made me believe that their struggle was real and feel deeply for them to have their almost unattainable dreams to come true.

But PARVULOS is not all doom and gloom. This is a film that is quite often laugh out loud funny and heartwarming as the kids try to go on with traditions like birthdays and Christmas despite their horrible situation. The film stands as a testament to the unbreakable power of the child’s imagination and determination to have what was taken away from them.

I laughed. I cried. I liked a little in my mouth from the gory grossness that occurs in PARVULOS. This definitely isn’t a movie for kids, as it deals with some pretty adult themes, but man it delivers an emotionally devastating story with characters you can’t help but root for.

PARVULOS is currently touring the festival circuit. When it comes to a wide release, I’ll be sure to let you all know where and when you can see it.