71. A Wolfpack Called Ernesto; movie review

 

A WOLFPACK CALLED ERNESTO

Cert 15

78 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

Hats off to documentary maker Everardo González for daring to enter the gang territory of some of the most dangerous streets in the world.

A Wolfpack Called Ernesto is set in Mexico, where 350,000 people have been killed over the past 15 years by armed criminals.

Among the dead were 30,000 who were under 18 years old.

The movie was filmed with iPhones attached to the backs of present or former gang members to preserve their anonymity.

This is an innovative way of ensuring they agreed to be interviewed but seeing a screen filled with necks and hairlines subtracts from the movie experience.

It also makes one wonder about the truth of their words. Could they have made up elements to make them seem tougher?

I guess that thought might have been offset by context but there isn't any during A Wolfpack Called Ernesto.

The audience is forced into background research to understand the levels of armed gang culture in Mexico.

We learn from the participants that they are involved as young as 11 and some of the stories they tell are hair-raising and it is astonishing how matter-of-fact they are talking about guns and death. 

Life seems to have so little meaning among the gangs that even a young boy sees dying as an occupational hazard.

There is no doubt this is a profoundly shocking story and González and his crew deserve great praise for telling it.

But while I agree with those who have offered plaudits to the movie, it falls into the trap of many modern-day documentaries and presumes knowledge.

Therefore, the history is not explained, nor are the home circumstances of the very young boys who find themselves embroiled.

The allegation of America providing arms for the gangs is left hanging in the air.

When I watch a documentary, I want to come away as fully informed as possible - for me, it shouldn't be a mere springboard for research, so I haven't marked A Wolfpack Called Ernesto higher.

Reasons to watch: Astonishing stories

Reasons to avoid: No context

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? In 2019, Mexico suffered the third highest number of gun-related deaths in the world at 22,118. The highest was Brazil (49,437) and then the USA (37,040). India, Colombia and Venezuela make up the top six.

The final word. Everardo González: "My biggest concern is to safeguard the anonymity of those who will give us their testimony." Variety

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