In Mexico, life is grim: cities turned into ghost towns by drug wars. This dark tale follows a gang of five children trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels.

Violence is rampant in Mexico City where the war on drugs has been waged. Shine is the leader of children who lost their parents from violent gangs and settled down in an abandoned building. He happens to get a gun belonged to a gang. When a 10-year old girl, Estella lied flat to avoid bullets in her classroom, she made wishes. Instead of her mother’s return, she encounters ghosts. She is petrified and joins the orphan group. As the gang tracks down the kids for the lost gun, they have to fight against vice, violence, and their innermost fears. The audience is quickly absorbed in the brilliant performance of children who remind us of City of God (2002). The film presents some magical moments through stunningly beautiful scenes when fish swim in the building’s floor and kids play soccer in a corridor. This is a painful story of a girl and children, combined with different elements of horror, magical fantasy, and social issues. The film won many awards from numerous festivals. Guillermo del Toro selected the film among his Top 10 films of 2017. We should pay attention to the future of director Issa López. (Ellen Y.D. KIM)