by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Who doesn’t love a “boy and his dog” tale? This is a hallmark story that is filled with compassion and empathy. We get to see a young human connect on such a deep level with an innocent creature who will do nothing but be there for the child. These stories tend to be filled with emotion and fun. It is a cute experience to see a young kid playing around with the pet and companion. But what if it wasn’t a dog? There could be a creature a little more mystical that could fit the film. That is how we got the latest Netflix family film Chupa.
What replaces the dog in this template? A chupacabra. Wait… what? It’s a bold move for the team of writers (Sean Kennedy Moore, Joe Barnathan, and Marcus Rinehart) to go in such a strange and inspired direction. You normally hear of said cryptids in horror tales. The titular “Goat-Sucker” is turned into a sweet and adorable winged kitten-looking creature who melts your heart on impact. This makes it a lot easier for us to buy this story. The special effects are not the most impressive, but they are serviceable enough for a straight-to-Netflix family film like this. This feels like a Mexican-set E.T. in many ways, as they just want to get this cub home.
What does director Jonás Cuarón bring to the table in this family adventure? This son of acclaimed director Alfonso Cuarón finds the charm in this little tale. There are fun moments shared by our young protagonist and his chupacabra. You also see some charming moments shared by the group of young people at the center of the story. There are some thrilling moments as well, as this chupacabra is not an easy creature to get home safely. We get to experience some chase scenes and confrontations with other creatures. Cuarón delivers decent enough tension in those moments to keep attention. This is not the most dynamic of films, but it does have decent humor and thrills.
Outside of the fact that there is a cryptid in this movie, does Chupa shake up this formula in any interesting way? Unfortunately, the biggest frustration of this film is that it feels so familiar. There is a solid amount of charm, but there is way too much that is familiar. We start with the obligatory hunter character, Richard (Christian Slater, who is at least a charismatic performer), who serves as our human antagonist. We get our standard lonesome young kid who needs a friend. Luckily, he finds some fun children his age, as well as his new furry friend. Each beat over the 90-minute runtime feels like you could have seen it coming a mile away. But there are a few elements that feel fun and fresh. Demián Bichir is such a charismatic presence that his role steals every scene. It gets even better when he finds himself in his old lucha libre costume, and jumps in to protect his grandson.
Is Chupa an adventure worth taking with the whole family? There are not as many elements that work for adults solely, but there is enough fun that you can enjoy this with your whole family. The veteran actors who fill supporting roles are strong standouts (Bichir and Slater of course). This has its familiar elements, and its fresh ones, but in the end, they both add up to an enjoyable experience.
Score: 6/10
Chupa is currently streaming on Netflix
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