We Are What We Are

We Are What We Are is a brooding slow burn with little to no jump scares and disturbing subject matter, specifically cannibalism. Believe me when I say I really wanted to love this movie. Sadly, the first two acts of this movie are a chore. I fell asleep the first time around the 20-minute mark my first watchthrough. It begins with a family tragedy and shows their subsequent grieving period. This family has a secret but it's established early on so we're just watching them do stuff. It's a way to develop the characters and set the mood, sure, but it completely failed to grip my attention. You know where the movie is going right off the bat. It shows its hand too quickly and doesn't gain any momentum until the final act.

The third act is enjoyable, though. It's thrilling, tense, borderline silly at times but all in good fun. The problem is whether it's worth the wait. Like waiting in line for five hours for a roller coaster ride and you finally get on and have a good time, but was the wait really worth the few moments of enjoyment? Honestly, it's entirely up to you. The movie certainly has its perks. The acting is excellent across the board, the daughters in particular, and the cinematography is superbly crafted to give you the eerie vibe necessary to pull off this subject matter. Production value wise, We Are What We Are is quality stuff.

I'd recommend it to horror buffs, specifically those who prefer a slow burn over cheap jump scares. We Are What We Are just happens to be the particular slow burn that's slow to the point that it produces more of a flicker than a flare.