The Untamed was directed Amat Escalante- who has been working in within Mexican independent cinema since the early 2000’s. He is most known for his 2013 film Heli- a controversial & bleak crime drama. The Untamed certainly retains the bleak & depressing elements of Heil, yet it also has a darkly mysterious & surreally sensual edges to it too.

The film is best described as a blend of gritty kitchen sink drama, sordid love story, with  subtle elements of Sci-fi & horror. Its plot focus in on Alejandra - a young women whose in a mundane, passionless & loveless with marriage with her macho husband Angel- who for all of his heterosexual posturing is having a homosexual relationship with Alexandra’s medic brother Fabian.  Into this love triangle steps Veronica, and she introduces into the plot an elderly couple who live in a cabin in the woods with a sexually active alien begin.

Throughout the film manages to good balance between dramatic domestic bleakness, slowly unfolding mystery and  moments of dark & lingering beauty. The sci-fi & horror elements are mainly kept low-key and subtle- so don’t go into this either expecting lots of creature effects, gore, or intense horror. It’s more of slow & moody build- with moments of stark drama, lingering dark wonder, and interesting commentary about both human sexuality & intimacy.

The Untamed is definitely a film for those who enjoy edgy & bleak foreign language drama.  But equally, it will appeal to the horror or sci-fi fan who is looking for something a little more arty, dark & thought-provoking.