NZIFF Review - Crocodile Tears

You think you know all about boy mums? Try again. Crocodile Tears features our protagonist Johan, a young man raised by a single mum, who he lives with in seclusion at the run-down crocodile park they run. It's a local attraction, sure, but it's also the subject of rumours and speculation, and as for Johan, it's a source of ridicule and insecurity.

In typical single boy mum fashion, she is overbearing, with their relationship taking up the center of her worldview, and being the primary source of her happiness. She has him, and he has her. But then Johan meets a girl, Arumi, falls for her, sleeps with her, and his mother falls completely apart, with consequences for everyone involved.

It's said that crocodile mothers protect their young by keeping them in their mouth, the very thing they use to kill and devour their prey, and with the sheer amount of crocodile symbolism and how emotionally incestuous the mother's feelings are towards her son, this fact seems to make up the core of the story. Will a mother's overbearing love for her son protect him? Or kill him?

But the real strength of the film lies in its subtleties, nuances, and small details. There's no background music for this film, which has you sitting in the growing tension of the unfurling story. The film also touches on the different aspects of the mother and son relationship, while also touching on the stigma with mental health, and the sex industry, all with a slight supernatural twist. Yusuf Mahardika, who plays Johan, and Marissa Anita, who plays the mother (credited as Mama), have subtle but strong performances, that remind me of riptides. While Arumi's actress, Zulfa Maharani, also did a great job, Yusuf and Marissa's performance brings a raw energy to the film that is unmatched.

Is this an uncomfortable watch? Yes. But is it a good watch? Hell yeah.