‘Tiger Stripes’ Review: A Charming Piece of Period Body Horror
Puberty is a difficult time for all of us. Not only are we navigating physical and emotional changes, but we also become hyper-aware of how other people focus on our bodies. Many of us feel as if we are under a microscope as we internalize everything people say about us. It is hard not to feel like a freakish monster under the best circumstances. Even those lucky enough to learn about menstruation from someone less damaged than many of our mothers find themselves with unanswered questions, comments, and many concerns. This experience is the perfect subject for the body horror subgenre. This is also why Tiger Stripes deserves your attention.
Tiger Stripes follows a young girl named Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal), who lives a fairly carefree life. Until she gets her first period, an event that further strains her relationship with her parents. Being the first girl in her class to get her period also makes her an outcast at school, as even her best friends turn on her. This milestone also comes with unusual physical side effects not covered in the textbooks. You see, Zaffan is beginning to slowly turn into a tiger. As she grows a tail and develops tiger stripes, it becomes increasingly harder for her to hide this secret. As her conservative school, frightened community, and loved ones turn on her, she’s forced to remind them that cornering wild animals is a bad idea.
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One of the many reasons that Tiger Stripes succeeds is because Zafreen Zairizal is a much stronger performer than most child actors. Zairizal embodies the carefree girl passing a bra around the bathroom. She shines as the giggly mischief maker that many of us are still capable of being with the right friend and drink combo. However, she also captures the emotional depths of the situation while seeming to have the time of her life being wild, vicious, and free. Zairizal even leans into comedic stop-motion effects that give the film an unexpected charm. While her supporting cast is also strong, this period horror dramedy hinges on her performance. So, it’s fortunate this child actor was up for the challenge, and I hope she does more genre work.
Writer-director Amanda Nell Eu’s feature debut is a cute, funny, and painfully relatable tale. Anyone who menstruates remembers who they were before they got their first period. They also remember the fear and shame instilled in us by society. We are taught to hide our sanitary products and silently pay the tampon tax. The system is rigged, and we are made to feel like monsters because the patriarchy hates us. So, many humans who menstruate often dream of running off into the woods and becoming feral like Zaffan. Tiger Stripes knows all this. That’s why it feels like a Malay-language body horror best friend offering us our favorite sweets and a heating pad.
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No matter how old we get, it’s important to have movies that tackle our ongoing journey of accepting our bodies, specifically in a world that always makes us feel like we are both too much and not enough. We are too big, too small, too short, too tall, and made to feel defective with every breath. Simply existing with any amount of self-esteem is an act of resistance. It is a constant protest for anyone who is not a cis straight white guy. In 2025, periods are still stigmatized as we find out weekly that more elected officials have no concept of basic human anatomy. It is still deemed a “woman’s issue” as they pretend there are only two genders. This is done because “women’s issues” can get swept under the rug as the world continues yelling the quiet part out loud.
This ironically makes this cute horror movie punk rock because it is unafraid to talk about menstruating, puberty, and a young kid stepping into her own power. She learns she is enough and realizes the people who want her to think she is broken are the real problem. This is an important message for everyone. So, it is upsetting Malaysia released a censored version of the film against the filmmaker’s wishes. It is insulting to let this movie gain honors and critical acclaim only to give its home country a lesser version.
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Many people will get caught up on the film’s budgetary restrictions. However, Tiger Stripes leans into its limitations. It makes it seem like a fun aesthetic as it stays laser-focused on what it is trying to accomplish. This charming coming-of-age drama body horror comedy is such a cute gem. I am glad it is finally arriving on a streamer after years in festivals and a stint on VOD. Period movies are important in the genre. We do not have enough of them in the horror canon, even though our bodies are politicized and scrutinized daily. However, because puberty is body horror, and horror is political, this is a perfect intersection.
Tiger Stripes is the kind of film many of us would’ve loved to have as we were hitting puberty. The film is like a warm hug for those who figured it all out under different chaotic circumstances. It effectively captures the horrors of puberty alongside the awkward and uncomfortable moments that still haunt our distant memories. It also takes the audience on a magical realism journey as Zaffan begins to change into the magnificent beast she is destined to become. This story is the kind of healing horror we could use right now.
Tiger Stripes is now streaming on Shudder.
Have you seen Tiger Stripes? Did you find it as charming as I did? Then find me on Bluesky so we can keep talking about it.
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Tiger Stripes
Summary
‘Tiger Stripes’ is the kind of film many of us would have loved to have as we were hitting puberty. The film is like a warm hug for those who figured it all out under different chaotic circumstances. It effectively captures the horrors of puberty alongside the awkward and uncomfortable moments that still haunt most of us.
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