‘Good Savage’ is a dark comedy film with action-packed adventure

Zany acting, violent action and enough dark humor to have the entire theater audience erupt in laughter. That’s what the Mexican film, “Good Savage,” brought to the Hola México Film Festival (HMFF). 

HMFF returned to Los Angeles for its 16th edition, bringing together over 10,000 cinephiles to watch over 20 Mexican films. This year, the festival also marked a significant return to the horror genre while ensuring a diverse selection of movies, including dramas, comedies, documentaries and more.

“Good Savage,” proudly sponsored by Yo Sabo The Game, made its screening debut on Sunday, September 22, at the Regal Cinemas LA Live. The film is a dark comedy about a North American couple seeking artistic inspiration in Mexico. While the couple is on their adventure, they get a good dose of reality as they encounter the savage forces of Mexico no tourist guide could prepare them for. 

Besides directing “Good Savage,” Santiago Mohar Volkow is a screenwriter and producer who has received international recognition for his work. His inspiration for the “Good Savage”  came during the pandemic while being neighbors to actor Andrew Leland Rogers, who plays Jesse, the American husband, in the movie. “While we were there [at the ranch], the idea of making a movie came out, and we called everyone to do it, but we had to be quick. So, we wrote the script in a couple of weeks,” Volkow said.

He also said that during the pandemic many Americans were moving and continue to move to Mexico. During his time there, he heard a lot more English, and he also saw the funny interactions between the people from Mexico and the Americans. “We made up the story of what these Americans had in their minds as the idea of Mexico against the actual Mexico and sort of built the script on these two contrasts, which are both satirical but just one slightly more than the other,” Volkow said.

Naian Gonzalez Norvind, who plays the American wife role to Jesse, said that it was a joy to film the movie because they did it amongst friends and they had total freedom when it came to acting. “Tone is really difficult to achieve, and I feel like it was well achieved in this film on all fronts,” she said.

Rogers also said that the fun part for all of them as actors was to be able to play their representations of what another culture thinks their country represents. Being able to do that ironically or satirically. I think that was so much fun for everybody, and I think that's one of the best shoots I ever had,” Rogers said. Aldo Escalante, Alejandro Edda and Manuel Gardio-Rulfo also took part in the cast for “Good Savage.” 

“In the 16 years of showing Mexican cinema to our community, we've seen the Mexican film industry grow in huge leaps and bounds, with a maturing level of storytelling that coincides with a large growth in audience numbers whose presence shows a love and respect for our Mexican film heritage, said Samuel Douek, the founder and director of HMFF. “Still, through all that growth, the essence of HMFF remains the same: fantastic Mexican cinema in luxurious movie theaters surrounded by strangers who become familiar via our shared love of this great art form, and the celebration of it all,” 

Carlos Torres, the founder of Yo Sabo The Game, said that they always try to sponsor projects like podcasts or people that they think are doing very great things for the community. “Hola Mexico Film Festival is definitely making its debut here in the United States as the biggest Mexico Film Festival outside of Mexico,” he said. “So, we really felt compelled to support.”