Is it just me being biased, or is The Tax Collector (2020) really good? What can I say, sometimes my judgment gets clouded when my Mexican culture is represented well, even if done via a violent crime/action movie, so I ask again, am I being too generous or is the film actually great? What was that? You have no idea of what I am talking about because it is not a horror movie (nerd!) and you can’t relate? What!? You haven’t even watched the trailer yet? Here, let me help you fix that:
So, full disclosure, I’ve re-watched the movie a couple of times because it makes me feel giddy and happy inside as I see my family in it, I mean, obviously not the criminal part (ew, how dare you!?) but the gente, the day-to-day stuff that Mexican families do, like gathering around to eat big meals, cocinando chiles y llenando la casa de humo, persinandose and praying, being loud, getting ready para los Quince Años, dancing, celebrating life, just good vibes all around. Maybe it’s just me being nostalgic for the good old days when I used to live near my family, but man, there is something so incredibly comforting about seeing scenes like this one:
[Side note: Ever since I watched 3 From Hell (2019) by Rob Zombie I felt so bitter by the way Mexicans were wrongly represented, like caricatures, with silly sombreros and big dresses, living in dirt and poverty. So yes, as soon as I watched a pretty damn accurate representation of my people even if that representation was for a small part of our rich culture—that of family values—I was like, Muchas gracias, The Tax Collector!]
The other aspect of the movie that I enjoyed quite a lot was the sense of humor from Creeper, I mean, honest to God, it was so refreshing seeing a badass like him making goofy jokes while also talking in a sober voice about the benefits of good nutrition and mindfulness – what a hoot! That Creeper guy was scary though, like, too intense for my taste but at the same time sort of, ahem, charming? Don’t ask me why the bad boy approach works, it just does, okay? By the way, I understand that the actor playing that role was not Mexican (everyone else was, yes?) but I have to say that it worked, it really did work for me and did not find him unbelievable or cringey, plus, I admired the fact that he got a real Mexican tattoo on his chest, just for this film.
Can we get serious for a moment? The main character, David Cuevas, was hands down the best role model in the whole movie as he embodied both the bad and the good, the senseless and the reasonable, the ‘collector’ and the protector, the criminal and the business man, the murderer and the family man, the heir and the forsaken. I think he, himself, said it perfectly when talking to Creeper about what it was like to be in his shoes:
“I love my family. I love God. God allows me to walk through darkness and come back into the light. I have two worlds. You can too.” -David
Before I close this post and go re-watch the movie again, I would like to quickly list just for fun all the other things I enjoyed about it, SPOILERS AHEAD:
The family con las hermanas y tíos / “The Mexican Kardashians” / L.A.’s gritty neighborhoods / meditating is “satanic” lol / actual unsettling satanic rituals / slow motion shoot-out / hardcore violence (way too much, way too many heads smashed #gross) / the bloody bathtub #romantic / buried money / motorcycle chic / chocolate bars with hidden messages / la fiesta con la cumbia / “That’s like the female you. You guys should get married and have evil babies and shit.” / important characters dying / the soundtrack & music score (Sneaking Into The Compound by Michael Yezerski) / the open ending
In Love and Fear,
-Marath
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