Tiger Stripes: NZIFF Review

Coming of age tales are largely a dime a dozen these days, but this Malay feature of a girl entering her next stage of life takes a familiar tale and gives it a hint of something a little bit more, with levels of punkishness thrown in.

Zafreen Zairizal's 11 year old Zaffan loves mucking about with her mates. Whether it's doing TikTok crazed dances in the school toilets on camera or soaking herself with abandon in the local river, she's already on a course to shock those in her life.

But it all changes when she becomes the first in her class to get her period. Ostracised by those she considered her friends and less trusting of the push and pull of her parents, Zaffan's wilder streak comes out as she tries to fit in and carry on with life.

However, actual physical changes also start to manifest causing Zaffan to face more challenges than a girl should.

Marked by comments like "I don't want to be the first" and the cruelty of her companions ("demons will lick that blood and follow you around"), Zairizal and director Amanda Nell Eu deal well with the subtleties of the situation and the loss of innocence. Childish friendships are well explored and examined, as well as the societal changes thrust on many girls by their bodies and their TikTok-devouring friends.

But the film loses its way in sections, with the punkish vibe from early on settling more for something horrific that doesn't quite follow through in terms of the budget and the execution. Equally, a frustrating ending leaves the feeling that while Tiger Stripes has a unique and urgent voice, its conclusion quells any feelings that this movie knows exactly what it wants to do and how to do it.

Ultimately, Tiger Stripes shows off another facet of the familiar tale, and does so with a degree of nuance and a new voice, but some of the shakier elements of its script cause it to wobble in the final run.