Released February 13, 2017 by Arrow Films after a successful, perhaps somewhat controversial, festival and theatrical run, the Mexican arthouse horror flick We Are the Flesh gets a full-on dazzling package by Arrow in its Blu-ray/DVD release. 

The film, which I can safely say would likely be one of the more recent films dancing on that NC-17 line, is both extraordinary and completely unhinged, a sexually charged and nightmarish journey into an otherworldly dimension of carnal desire and excess, as well as a powerful allegory on the corrupting power of human desire. In the film, a young brother and sister, roaming an apocalyptic city, take refuge in the dilapidated lair of a strange hermit. He puts them to work building a bizarre cavernous structure, where he acts out his insane and depraved fantasies. Trapped in this maddening womb-like world under his malign influence, they find themselves sinking into the realms of dark and forbidden behavior.

We Are the Flesh mixes the powerful imagery of Gaspar Noe (Love, Enter the Void) with Jodorowsky's hallucinatory impact. Profoundly allegorical yet not far removed from a psychedelic journey, We Are the Flesh pushes boundaries then pushes them again. 

Starting off in an almost blinding bleakness, We Are the Flesh opens up to the post-apocalyptic lair of Mariano (Noe Hernandez), whose asylum like setting feels appropriate and only becomes more so. Lucio (Diego Gamaliel) and Fauna (Maria Evoli) are a brother and sister who arrive at Mariano's lair intent on robbing him. Instead of doing so, they are seemingly drawn into a participatory relationship with Mariano and within his dwelling. We Are the Flesh takes their relationship further than one could every possibly expect, think incest and necrophilia, yet there is something much deeper going on beneath the surface and writer/director Emiliano Rocha Minter never loses sight of it. 

We Are the Flesh experienced quite a bit of success on the film festival circuit including a Best Actor prize for Noe Hernandez at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and a Best Film prize at Fantasia Film Festival among others. Endorsed by both Inarritu and Cuaron, We Are the Flesh actually played in theaters here in the U.S. with Arrow Films and should have no problem having an extended life on home video.

Arrow has also given the film quite a few extras including:

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• 5.1 surround and uncompressed stereo 2.0 audio options
• Optional English subtitles
• A new video essay by critic Virginie Sélavy
• New interviews with director Emiliano Rocha Minter and cast members Noé Hernández, María Evoli and Diego Gamaliel
• Two short films by Emiliano Rocha Minter; Dentro and Videohome 
• Original theatrical trailer
• Stills gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Anton Bitel, and a note from the producer on the film.

For more information on We Are the Flesh, visit the Arrow website linked to in the credits. 

 Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic