INTO THE DARK: CULTURE SHOCK

I was really blown away by this entry. Once again Hulu's Into the Dark horror anthology series has spotlighted a director with real talent and something to say. Culture Shock may be the series best film and certainly the most important. The film tells the tale of a young pregnant Mexican woman trying to cross the border with a group of people. The first third of the film deals with the challenges she deals with on a daily basis and the past horrors she's endured. The second part has her caught by border police and she awakes in a beautiful colorful home with a house mother of sorts played by a wonderfully weird Barbara Crampton (From Beyond). As she explores the "traditional" American dream neighborhood she begins to discover imperfections and soon becomes aware of a hidden nightmare she's living. The performances are solid all around especially from lead Martha Higareda (Borderland) who gives her character a strength and vulnerability that's really impressive. The direction from Gigi Saul Guerrero (Mexico Barbero) is confident, creepy and informative but not in a preachy way. The movie gets its point across but still manages to be entertaining. I usually avoid political themed movies but I'm happy I gave this one a shot. It is a really great film with a unique perspective that needs to be seen.

4.25/5