Down the Rabbit Hole (Fiesta en La Madriguera) is a Mexican comedy-drama film which presents a unique, innocent perspective of a family involved in the world of crime. Based on the novel of the same name by Juan Pablo Villalobos, the film is directed by Manolo Caro and the screenplay is adapted by Nicolás Giacobone. It has a runtime of about 1 hour and 42 minutes.
The cast of the film includes Manuel García-Rulfo, Raúl Briones, Miguel Valverde Uribe, Teresa Ruiz, Alfredo Gatica, Mercedes Hernández, Pierre Louis, Lizeth Selene, Debi Mazar and Daniel Giménez Cacho.
Down the Rabbit Hole follows the tale of Tochtli, a young boy with a passion for hats, dictionaries, samurai, guillotines, and French culture. His latest obsession is acquiring a dwarf hippopotamus from Namibia for his private zoo. Tochtli’s father, Yolcaut, is more than willing to indulge his son’s desires, despite the luxuries they enjoy being tainted by Yolcaut’s involvement in illegal activities.
Down the Rabbit Hole Review
The Mexican title – Fiesta en La Madriguera, literally translates to ‘Party at the Burrow’ and that’s from where the story takes off, on Tochtli’s birthday. We meet him inside his palace-like home, picking out an appropriate sombrero for his special day. On being called by the house caretaker, he makes his way outside with his tiny horse’s leash on the other. While he had already instructed not to make a big deal of his birthday, like singing the birthday song for him or getting a cake etc but had other particular requests.
Like playing specific songs of his favourite singer and getting him all the gifts that he had on his list – from books on anatomy to a dwarf hippopotamus from Namibia. One by one all the people living in his house – mostly people working for his father and other staff, give him different gifts they had brought. Although Tochtli thanks them, one can sense that he is hoping to get the hippo eagerly. Sadly, it’s not easy to source one from Namibia but Yolcaut presents him with an exotic bird that’s on the brink of extinction.
Yolcaut always brags to his son, that he do anything. Thus, not getting a hippo makes Tochtli poke into his claims, giving us an idea about the kind of life he has been living. He is a particularly intelligent and precocious child, who is bound to his palace but the whole world is brought to his at any request. Inside that palace, Tochtli is safe and protected, but he also lives with an invisible blindfold that prevents him from fully understanding reality and discovering who his father is and where everything they have comes from.
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Yolcaut may be a drug trafficker, a criminal leader, and a wanted man, but his story is not just about the violence of his world. Down the Rabbit Hole focuses on his need to protect his family and showcases the everyday moments within their home. Alongside deals, glimpses of violence and threats, we see family breakfasts, bedtime stories, and birthday celebrations.
The film reminds us that life continues even in the most challenging circumstances. Children grow, parents worry, and dreams are still alive. Despite the intense subject matter, the film infuses humour and compassion, never passing judgment on its characters or their actions. This unique blend makes it an extraordinary and engaging story.
On the other hand, Tochtli is on the verge of losing his childhood innocence as he discovers more about his unique family. But his father does his best to delay the process for as long as possible. In a world filled with violence, drugs, money, and betrayal, Tochtli lives a comparatively normal life, learning things from his home school teacher and books. But there’s also a facet when he is unaware of the ‘reality’ outside, like asking for exotic animals as gifts.
Yolcaut fulfils his every request to keep his son’s innocence intact and distract him from the harsh realities of their surroundings. Despite being unaware of the complexities of the world around him, Tochtli senses that something is amiss. He copes by immersing himself in his love for animals, learning, and creating imaginary worlds where he can escape from his reality, even if he doesn’t realize that’s what he’s doing.
However, the fear of Tochtli’s life inside the bubble bursting up is always looming. As the story develops further, Tochtli slowly discovers the complexities of privilege, childhood, and the consequences of everyone’s actions. As he delves deeper into the small rabbit hole of his own life, he is forced to ultimately confront the harsh realities that surround him.
Down the rabbit hole is a captivating and thought-provoking film that explores the blurred lines between innocence and corruption, wealth and poverty, and the complexities of human nature. It makes you feel conflicted, where Yolcaut is nothing more than a violent criminal but on the other side, there’s this soft and nurturing side to him for his own son. Overall, it’s an entertaining watch, visually and in terms of storytelling, leaving you wondering about the different facets of life one leads.
Rating: 4/5
Down the Rabbit Hole (Fiesta en La Madriguera) is available to watch on Netflix.
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