Lobo

Lobo unlocks a haunting core memory of isolation and uncertainty, something that America once struggled with.

Dig into the back of your minds for when you debated the difference between solitude and isolation.

The year is 2020, the streets are bleak, nature is flourishing thanks to the unparalleled opportunity for reduced emission worldwide, a late drivers dream of no traffic is present, and personal conversation is at an all time minimum while digital conversation is at an all time high. Humanity is locked behind the lines of fear, Netflix, a lack of toilet paper, and a deadly illness. This particular prison described has three inmates; Carlos (Jean Perez) , Miguel (Ismael Castillo), and Alex (Maggie Winslow).

Two roommates , Miguel and Alex, bicker and reflect as Carlos suffers in isolation from a ferocious illness. Think about the person you know best, how well do you know them…can you be stuck with them for days or months at a time?  Lobo tackles the true idea of ignorance is bliss by displaying the horrors of learning how far people go to willingly be connected. This story backs the known fact of life, no one can survive in solitude for ever, the mind demands to be connected.

With chosen visuals of black and white, Lobo delivers the fear of uncertainty and how easily one can be isolated into obsolescence due to declining health. But you know what’s truly worrisome about this chosen tone of film? The haunting pockets of black in the film and what may be beyond it. You’re never quite sure if it’s just the background or a backdrop or possibly a murderous monster lurking in these pockets as the film scores vibration begins to creep into the souls of the audience. Each close up drawn with more clarity, director Jean Perez captures the horror drawn in the eyes of his actors Ismael Castillo (Miguel Santos) and Maggie Winslow (Alex Weaver). Up close and personal is the intruding theme of Lobo where the camera alone tells a confrontational story from the fear itself. Miguel is seen truly mourning the declining health of his brother while Alex tries her best to support him and encourage positivity into the situation.

Don’t overlook this stillness before the storm, you might miss out on the warning provided to you in these 22 minutes. There’s something animalistic about the virus spreading in Lobo and similar to the one we experienced, and what do they have in common? The original virus, ignorance, the most contagious sickness nonetheless.

Spooking a crowd in less than half an hour versus what Hollywood attempts to do in an hour and a half, remarkable move by Jean Perez. With this new turn on isolation, Jean Perez is at the front of the art house genre growing and Lobo is his tool to dictate what he will do next.