A 12-year-old Malaysian girl undergoes immense changes after hitting puberty in Tiger Stripes. Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal) is a student at a Muslim all-girls school in Malaysia, who often ends up breaking the rules when hanging out with her friends Farah (Deena Ezral) and Mariam (Piqa). When Zaffan has her period one night, the resulting changes make her an outcast from her friends. Zaffan decides to embrace these changes, which includes letting in a dark force that resides in the woods.
Tiger Stripes Synopsis
Tiger Stripes is a coming-of-age horror film written and directed by Amanda Nell Eu. Coming across like a Malaysian version of the Canadian classic Ginger Snaps, the film focuses on a 12-year-old girl named Zaffan, who undergoes changes both emotional and physical, after becoming the first in her group of friends to hit puberty. Bullied by her former friend Farah and made an outcast at her school, Zaffan ends up embracing the animal within her.
My Thoughts on Tiger Stripes
Quite similar to 2000's Ginger Snaps, the horror of Tiger Stripes is an allegory for the changes that occur in females during puberty. In this case, Zaffan seems to be possessed by a tiger-like demon, which results in glowing pink eyes and the growing of claws on her hands and feet. While some of the low-budget effects of the film are laughably low-quality, shots of Zaffan climbing trees come to mind, Tiger Stripes is still a solid addition to the pantheon of female-centric horror films.
Trailer for Tiger Stripes – Fantasia 2023
