Anomaly Film Festival Coverage
Tiger Stripes review
A coming-of-age horror drama with teeth. And claws. And a tail. Tiger Stripes features a consistently interesting build…and then it goes off the leash.
Festival movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Tiger Stripes
Directed by Amanda Nell Eu
Written by Amanda Nell Eu
Starring Zafreen Zairizal, Deena Ezral, Piqa, Shaheizy Sam, June Lojong, Khairunazwan Rodzy and Fatimah Abu Baker
Tiger Stripes Review
The Anomaly Film Festival opened its final day with a coming-of-age drama/horror movie from Malaysia. Featuring a fearless lead performance and a strong commitment to its messaging…Tiger Stripes delivers a memorable take on growing up.
Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal) is the first one of her friends to hit puberty. The changes to her body are…a bit different than usual. She finds herself ostracized and unable to fit in. Also…she seems to be turning into a monster. Growing up is hard enough without the craving for live animal flesh and developing claws.
Finding the ability to accept the person you are becoming is just as important to Tiger Stripes as the act of growing up itself. It uses the obvious metaphor of bodily changes to set the table for a deeper discussion of embracing those changes. Obviously, Zaffan’s circumstances are the extreme version of change. Her life becomes lonelier and more difficult at every turn. A product of having diverging interests and world views than your childhood friends. Even if those interests are horrific…as they are in Tiger Stripes.
Zairizal is terrific as Zaffan. She is tasked with some intense scenes that could have bordered on comedic in less capable hands. The entire cast of young actors turn in fine performances, in fact. Young actors tend to be more miss than hit…especially with material this complex. Writer/director Amanda Nell Eu puts them in position to succeed. A patient camera allows the characters time to connect to the audience. Tiger Stripes may take us to some wild places…but it does so at a pace that allows the performances to shine through.
While the messaging tackled in Tiger Stripes may not be new territory…the way that it delivers it looks and feels fresh. There is a familiarity to its unfamiliar take. You may not have had the exact experiences that Zaffan does…but you are very likely to have shared her feelings. Being bullied…feeling scared and lonely…fearing the changes occurring inside of you. These are universal things and what Tiger Stripes is best at communicating.
All roads lead to a crazy climax. Crazy…but well earned. We never take a perspective in the story other than Zaffan’s. We’re in this ride with her and her alone. Her isolation, her fears, her anger…it belongs to us too. It creates an interesting dynamic. What are we hoping for as the resolution to her story? While the metaphors are obvious…there is still the matter that, in this story, she is turning into something dangerous. We’re personally invested in where it goes. To that end, Tiger Stripes comes to a perfect conclusion. It finishes its most important message with an ending that manages to deliver on both the premise of the story and the promise of the message.
There are some surprisingly comedic moments mined from difficult situations. While in no way a comedy…Tiger Stripes isn’t afraid to let the emotions of a scene lead you wherever feels natural. It’s a good analogy for those budding teenage years. Everything is at turns dangerous, scary, funny and ridiculous. What makes it work here is that the movie treats those emotions with equal care. It can be a confusing time, after all. Every feeling should be respected.
Tiger Stripes probably isn’t for everyone. What it does…it does well…but it’s a movie for a more specific type of movie watcher. There is some body horror on display…it’s not afraid to make you feel squeamish about bodily functions. It also features young characters in pain and peril. Not to mention the bullying that Zaffan endures as she begins to change. Tiger Stripes can be a difficult watch due to its realistic take on a fanciful metaphor. It’s also a worthy one. A movie that wants you to reconcile growth with acceptance. Even if it has a tail attached to it.
Scare Value
A raw, savage story about the changes that occur during puberty. Tiger Stripes is surprisingly funny at times…and starkly realistic despite being largely steeped in metaphors. It also features some of the finest performances from young actors you’ll find anywhere. Imaginative, wild and committed to its concept.
3.5/5
