Tiger Stripes (2023) User Reviews

Malaysian Carrie

[billcr12 · 5/10 · 25 February 2024]

Much like Carrie White of the Stephen King novel and later film, Zafan is the first in her class to experience her period, and somehow, the school is aware of her situation.

Classmates mock her and the girl begins to exhibit some very strange behavior. A bathroom scene where she is attacked by a group of girls from her school results in a demon like possession and a Muslim supposed cleric arrives to perform an almost Catholic style exorcism. The man is obviously a con artist with business cards and social media presence.

The Malaysian scenery is beautiful and the lead actress is excellent.

I was not happy with the ending but Tiger Stripes is a decent horror film.

More of a coming-of-age story with some body horror elements

[chenp-54708 · 8/10 · 24 February 2024]

Responses from general people have been mildly positive but many have been experiencing how this isn't a horror movie and there's not much scares. It's more of a coming-of-age story rather then horror so just keep that in mind. This movie won the Critics' Week Grand Prize and having seen it, I can see why.

Director Amanda Nell Eu does a pretty good job other debut story about the coming-of-age setting of a 12 year old girl going through some bizarre changes and situations with gorgeous colorful camerawork, sound designs, themes and atmospheres, and good performance from the lead actress.

Malaysian cinema isn't often discussed and rarely I have seen films from the country and having known it's culture and background, the movie does a pretty good job on capturing the setting, atmosphere, culture and beliefs with some interesting ballsy choices like discussions of periods and showing Malay girls' sexuality. Throughout, Nell Eu's direction was pretty good on handling the narrative, sound, atmosphere and concepts. While some concepts are a bit cliched of certain horror tropes, the narrative mostly worked.

The performances are pretty good as the child performance are all solid. The sound designs are good, the characters, while a bit thin, remain interesting and engaging to observe, and it has a good score. The movie has horror themes explored but admittedly, since it is more of a coming-of-age story, the horror elements didn't feel as strong or ambitious as it could have been. Including some noticeable bad CGI.

Overall, despite the flaws, I found myself enjoying this movie because of it's ambitious style, concept and the direction it took. Again, this isn't the typical horror movie but it's more of a coming-of-age movie.

A coming-of-age tale in Rural Selangor

[pk_nayar · 8/10 · 20 October 2023]

Amanda Nell Eu debut effort is a surreal study of a 12 year old girl's coming-of-age experience told against the backdrop of rural Selangor

Tinged with magical realism, the story is a simple slice of life tale with Zafreen Zairizal's impactful performance as Zaffan being the definite showstealer. Told through her lenses, we see her navigate the changes of puberty and the challenges of a small conservative town school life in an ever evolving modern world

The cinematography (by Gaudi Award nominated Jimmy Gimferrer) is excellent, with some breathtaking shots and framing of Malaysia's rainforest and the Titiwangsa range. The background score was also superb, an almost raw tone from Indonesian duo Gabber Modus Operandi.

Strong debut work featuring excellent performances

[kalashnandakumar · 9/10 · 2 December 2023]

At its finest, Tiger Stripes conjures the thrills of Mr Midnight novels, issues of Mastika or early Pontianak films (the latter two were direct sources of inspiration).

The narrative propels forward through the eyes of 12-year-old Zaffan, a precocious and spirited girl, dealing with puberty - specifically, as she experiences getting her period for the first time - and the estrangement as a result of it. Zafreen Zairizal carries the role with real charisma and playfulness that makes you root for her from the start. Her performance is supported by equally strong turns from Piqa and Deena Ezral, who play Zaffan's friends. The filial and societal strains Zaffan endures leads to an inevitable climax, but it is here Eu pulls an outstanding coup de cinema, through sheer practical effects that captures the magical realism of Nusantara folklore we have all grown up with.

After years of slop from the Marvel-industrial machine, and as we enter a new advent of AI and visual effects, there is still grace and beauty in practical, tactile approaches.

Powerful, great

[PedroPires90 · 8/10 · 17 September 2023]

• Let children be children. Let teenagers be teenagers. Embrace the differences and the different stages of life.

• That girl just wanted to play. They didn't let her play nicely, so she started playing naughty.

• Now I understand periods a bit better. I think.

• Powerful performance in the lead role by Zafreen Zairizal.

• I hate bullies. One of those children (Farah) should have also had her head cut off.

• The special effects in motion aren't great, but oddly, they add some charm.

• Excellent soundtrack, a raw portrayal of certain closed-minded thoughts, certain traditions, and how they can affect both children and how they can affect both children and adults.

• Quite artistic. At its own pace. Some of the most beautiful shots of the year. A luxurious directorial debut.

Red not Panda

[kosmasp · 10/10 · 28 September 2023]

No pun intended - and I am quite certain that the filmmaker was not thinking of a Pixar movie when she made this. She had this in her from her own experience. There are parallels and there may be things that do ... well touch similar subject matter(s). A young girl growing up - having no idea about her own body and what it goes through. And no one that can tell her what is actually happening.

In Germany there was an ad that told (mostly) kids that a breakfast cereal was "waking the tiger in you" (English ads had it say "breakfast of champions") ... well if you are looking for a German pun ... look no further.

But this is not about my love for puns. No this is about a story of a girl who is misunderstood, has issues with the school she is in, her parents, her friends .. and the struggle of understanding her body and the transformation it does take ... There is so much to unpack ... sound design, costumes and of course acting! Everyone in this is really good - plus really good effects! If you are not too squeamish or sensitive .. and do not mind this pointing and showing us problems we do not see too often in movies (Red Pandas aside) ... well you could do worse.

haha Cat People for 12 year olds .... ace

[anxiousgayhorseonketamine · 9/10 · 19 May 2024]

Really cool piece

Not quite sure what genre

Not horror

More rites-of-passage puberty tale with highly humorous and also serious themes blended in; shamanism is very present here too

The Malay village and surroundings/nature it is set in so beautiful

The acting from the three girls; this a teen buddy movie too really very good; the ancillaries pull their weight too; the parents are excellent in this too; the über-laidback dad an absolute treat

Watching more and more films and series from Asia and the quality is really as good as anything from The West often on a par with

Highly advised for folks who are interested in good cinema shamanism and the thorny time in a person's life we call teenage.

PS For the ones of you who have not seen it; watching Cat People (1982) would explain why I titled the review Cat People for 12 year old. The 1982 was not the first but it was an excellent film.

Tiger Lily!

[Pairic · 8/10 · 20 May 2024]

Tiger Stripes: A Malaysian coming of age shape-shifter body horror film. Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal) attends a conservative school, along with the other girls she is forced to wear a hijab and long robes. Being a rebel she takes the hujan off and dances on Tik-Tok. This gets her in trouble at school and with her pious mother. She is the first in her class to menstruate and this gradually leads to her being excluded by her friends and bullied. Her body changes though in surprising ways. Blotches, stiff hairs to start with but then claws develop. This is a tale which involves many Fortean tropes demons of the forest which Zaffan sees sitting in trees, mass hysteria of schoolgirls having fits, an exorcist Imam, a shape-shifting transformation into Werechild. Mostly though it is a story about revolt against medievalist misogyny and a girl fighting for her freedom. There is one scene in particular where Zaffan deals with an Imam which fair gladdened my heart and made me laugh out loud. It is in the tradition of Carrie and Ginger Snaps. Tiger Stripes: was released in Malaysia in a heavily censored version, and the director has disowned that cut of the film. Written and Directed by Amanda Nell Eu. 8/10.