Miss Bala, the new film from director Gerardo Naranjo (I’m Gonna Explode), offers a harsh look at the criminal underbelly of Mexico, from the perspective of Laura, a beautiful young girl caught up unexpectedly in the unpleasant world of the Mexican Drug War. Whilst the message of the film is indubitably important, and Naranjo provides a valuable insight into the corruption and anarchy currently subsuming Mexico, the film itself can be described, at best, as a mediocre political thriller, with little emotional depth or suspense to make it especially notable.

At the start of the film we are introduced to Laura, a 23-year-old girl living with her brother and father in an ostensibly deprived region of Bala, California. Persuaded by her friend, Suzu, Laura enters herself into the Miss Bala California beauty pageant, with hopes of using the competition as a way out of her poverty stricken lifestyle. 

When the two girls visit a seedy nightclub, Laura becomes embroiled in matters far beyond her capabilities; as the only witness to a brutal massacre, she is abducted by members of a criminal gang and forced to do as they demand. By bribing the organisers, Laura’s captors manage to fix the competition, intending to use Laura’s “success” to their advantage. 

Unfortunately the entire premise of the film seems somewhat implausible. Laura’s infrequent attempts at escape seem less than enthusiastic, and it is difficult to understand quite where she is coming from or what she is trying to achieve.  As the only real character in the entire film, Stephanie Sigman, who plays Laura, is under a lot of pressure to deliver. 

Sadly her character is far too underdeveloped to offer any kind of emotional attachment or genuine empathy. Her relationship with her father seems non-existent, for reasons unexplained, whilst that with her brother has great potential which Naranjo unfortunately declines to cash in on. 

We also learn little about the political background for the film. As someone personally unfamiliar with the intricacies of Mexico’s current political climate, it would have been useful to have been given a little more information.

Nonetheless, Naranjo’s portrayal of a society overwhelmed by crime and corruption is affecting. There is a level of subtlety which is admirable, as the viewer is kept in the dark for much of the film, rendering us as clueless as Laura. Clearly this is a very personal film for Naranjo, who is making a very explicit statement about what he evidently views as the degradation of his homeland. 

Visually, the film is stunning, sublimely juxtaposing scenes of violence and death with those of beauty and grace, highlighting the contrast between Laura’s world and the world into which she has been dragged. This in turn gives an idea of the volatility of the situation in Mexico, and the potential for anarchism.

While political thrillers centred on drugs, money and guns are not uncommon, it is interesting that Naranjo has chosen for his protagonist a very young, naïve woman. Caught up in the crossfire, in a very masculine world, Laura’s character manifests the vulnerability of women in such a society. Finding herself in a lose-lose situation, Laura’s determination and resilience are at the heart of the film.

Such a strong female character seems especially prominent when placed in the beauty-pageant context, which, by its very nature, highlights the passivity and objectification of women. In contrast, the men in the film are, without exception, portrayed as cruel, violent and sexually aggressive.

In fact praise must go to Noe Hernandez who plays Laura’s main kidnapper, Lino. Though his character is never explained in any great detail, his performance is one of the few saving graces of an otherwise lack-lustre film. His fixation on Laura is disturbingly realistic, culminating in a rather unpleasant moment in the later part of the film, though doubtlessly one of the most believable, and memorable, scenes. Sadly, despite these few praises, the film just doesn’t quite work.

At nearly two hours it feels like the plot is missing something (real characters perhaps) and the lasting impression is ultimately that Naranjo is using this film as a vehicle with which to convey his own very personal grievances.