EIFF 2024: Xibalba Monster
This study of a young boy with a fascination for death is a striking work but struggles to fully communicate its young protagonist's emotional world
Manuela Irene’s exploration of death through a child’s eyes begins with a chance encounter on the side of the road, when Rogelio stuffs his pockets with the smashed glasses of a car crash victim after paramedics clear the scene. He then joins some neighbourhood boys on a trip into the woods to look for shrines and skeletons, encountering tourists, abandoned caves, and a hermit with possibly devilish powers along the way.
Heading up a cast full of first-time credits – most of whom are at ease in front of the camera – the young Rogelio Ojeda lends his name and captivating presence as Xibalba Monster's young protagonist. His charisma sells Rogelio’s burgeoning awareness of the world without making him mature beyond his years; his childish stubbornness and occasional tantrums similarly feel organic and appropriate rather than overplayed.
Scenes morph between playful innocence and vicious cruelty, be they games of catch by the water, feeding an orphaned goat, or leading a street dog by its legs to some unknown fate. The animals in the film are disturbingly disposable; there is no sentimentality or anthropomorphising in Rogelio’s and his companions’ worldviews. The score shines in moments when Rogelio is alone, with woodwind and brass instruments used to great, almost supernatural effect.
In its suggestion of mythological, ancient forces influencing one young boy’s growing understanding of life, Xibalba Monster is a striking work but never fully involves itself in its characters’ emotional worlds, keeping its audience at the same distance as the weight of history and indifference of nature.
Xibalba Monster had its world premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival