Mexico Barbaro II is a 2017 horror anthology film, with segments written and directed by Diego Cohen, Christian Cueva, Ricardo Farias, Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Michelle Garza Cervera, Carlos Meléndez, Alfredo Mendoza, Lex Ortega, Abraham Sánchez, Sergio Tello, and Fernando Urdapilleta. The film is an unconnected sequel to Mexico Barbaro (2014), yet still follows a similar theme of Mexican traditions and legends.
“In this gore-packed anthology, nine Mexican directors come together to narrate nine brutal, ruthless, and bizarre legends of their country. México Bárbaro II shows the world superstition and lore of Mexican culture, from stories told by grandmothers, to the dark and disturbing ancestral bloody rites.“
As with most anthologies, Mexico Barbaro II certainly offers up a variety of uniquely grotesque narratives to satiate one’s bloodlust—providing some incredibly messy yet entertaining short films from a whole host of different directors. The film features a number of impeccable shorts, oozing both tension and gore in equal measure. However, as with all anthologies, some segments are inevitably going to be stronger than others in many regards. For instance, La Leyenda de Juan Soldado (Juan the Solider), Exodoncia, and Ya Es Hora (It’s About Time) undoubtedly offer up the most compelling narratives. However, when compared to these, shorts such as Padious Phobos and Balas de Fuego (Fireballs) fall noticeably flat. Although the shorts are not bad in a sense of quality and would certainly stand up on their own merits, their accompaniment with the more outstanding shorts only emphasises their issues.
Additionally, like a growing number of new releases in the subgenre, the film lacks any type of overarching framing devices and is, instead, just a collection of similarly themed yet unrelated shorts. Whilst this may not be a bad thing, per se, it is absence is noticeable and would have been a nice inclusion to tie everything together.
A stand-out feature of this compendium, the amazing level of gratuitous splatter is undoubtedly the driving force behind every tale in Mexico Barbaro II. Full to the brim with visceral carnage, each short spotlights a heavy fixation on special effects that intuitively fit around each narrative perfectly. Scenes of gore-soaked dismemberment and brutish violence don the screen for all to discern, hardly cutting away from these barbaric acts.
Furthermore, while the majority of these effects are actualised through some impressive feats of practical effects, there are some instances of CGI implemented that are, unfortunately, far below the quality of the realistic effectuation achieved by other means. Despite being a noticeable visual drawback on an otherwise imposing smorgasbord of pragmatic savagery, their inclusion is hardly a deal breaker of any kind—only being a minor addition to a few of the shorts.
An energetically grisly romp South of the border, Mexico Barbaro II is an eclectic collection of Mexican tales that is sure to beguile both gorehounds and anthology fans alike. With its diverse collection of narratives, monumental special effects, and overall decent performances from its huge cast; the film is certainly a refreshing collection of shorts from some of Mexico’s up-and-coming horror directors.
Mexico Barbaro II (2017) is available to purchase from Unearthed Films Website now.
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Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.