The Wasteland

Let me start off by stating that though I am a movie and tv show junkie, I am not a fan of horror flix…not even a little bit. But this year, 2022, is the year I face my fears and start doing things that are a bit uncomfortable to me. With that said, this movie hit close to home. This movie dealt with issues of fear and seclusion, and the damaging effects it can have on the mind and spirit. It is eerily depictive of the pandemic we faced in 2020, and are still facing.   

As the movie opens, we are introduced to Diego and his parents Salvador and Lucía who live in complete isolation from the rest of the town. His father, a man a few words, wants to teach Diego survival skills but his mother preferred a gentler approach to his upbringing. When a body is discovered on their property, Salvador feels compelled to bring the family closure and return the body. This required a trip that would take him several days to return from which meant Diego and his mother would be left alone on the land to fend for themselves.

As darkness falls, fear quickly sets in. His mother begins seeing a beast and attempts to kill it using their shotgun. That fear grows into something more as day broke because Diego’s mom believed she saw the beast once again. As I watched this movie, I could not help but feel for Diego. He was so young and had to witness such terror which he himself could not actually see except through his mother’s eyes. We watched him turn from a boy to a young man and have to make life or death decisions.

In later scenes, it became evident that this beast was imagined. Diego did not start seeing it until his mother showed him an image of the doll. What fascinated me most was Diego’s ability at such a young age to realize that the beast was not real, fear was not real; and most importantly, it was not his. That fear was implanted in him by his parents. His ability to make that distinction set him free and gave him the courage needed to face that fear and go beyond the so-called safe zone. Though a slow burn, this movie was decent. It was about facing your fears, be it real or imagined, and stepping out in faith even when it is unclear what aw