Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
In Monterrey, Mexico, a young street gang spends their days dancing to slowed-down cumbia and attending parties. After a mix-up with a local cartel, their leader is forced to migrate to the U.S. but quickly longs to return home.
Fernando Frías de la Parra's debut is a singular piece of Mexican cinema that captures a deeply specific subculture — the Kolombia youth movement of Monterrey, with its slowed-down cumbia, elaborate hairstyles, and tight communal bonds — in a way that feels utterly unlike anything else. The cinematography is stunning, contrasting the vibrant, textured streets of Monterrey with the cold alienation of New York, and the film's visual language is confident and immersive. The novelty is exceptional: the film doesn't just document a subculture but embeds its rhythm and melancholy into the very form of the storytelling. The acting from non-professional lead Juan Daniel Garcia Treviño is naturalistic and compelling, though the supporting cast is more uneven. The plot is lean to the point of sparseness — the immigration narrative follows a familiar arc of displacement and longing — and the ending, while emotionally resonant, tapers off rather than lands with full force. Still, as a cultural artifact and aesthetic achievement, the film is well above average across the board.