Sujo
| Sujo | |
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_poster.jpg) Promotional release poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by |
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| Music by | Astrid Rondero |
Production company | Alpha Violet [1] |
| Distributed by | Beam Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 126 minutes[2] |
| Countries | Mexico United States France |
| Language | Spanish |
Sujo is a 2024 coming-of-age crime drama film written and directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez starring Juan Jesús Varela.[3] It premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. It is a co-production between Mexico, the United States and France.[4]
Premise
The film follows a young boy, Sujo, after his father, a member of a Mexican cartel, is assassinated, and the struggles of growing up without a father, and disassociating from the blood-soaked legacy that he inherits.
Plot
Josué, a sicario for the cartel, is assassinated, leaving his 4-year-old son, Sujo behind. Sujo's aunts, Nemesia and Rosalia, take him to be raised in a remote mountain shack. Sujo spends his childhood in isolation, with only his aunts and Rosalia's sons, Jai and Jeremy.
As the boys grow older, Sujo and his peers rebel and become involved with the drug violence around them. During a turf war, Jeremy is killed, and Sujo's aunt Nemesia sends him off to live in Mexico City.
Release
The film debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival[5] on January 19, 2024.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 27 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "A consistently gripping coming-of-age story, Sujo reaffirms Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez as two of the most exciting rising talents in Mexican cinema."[6] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on six critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[7] Reviewing for IndieWire, Carlos Aguilar graded the film an 'A', citing the film as "intricate in meaning and scope."[8]
In September 2024, the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas chose the film as Mexico's submission for the Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film and for the Academy Award for Best International Film.[9]
See also
References
- ^ Jones, Holly (January 18, 2024). "UTA Snaps Up Domestic Sales for Buzzy Mexican Sundance Title 'Sujo,' 'Identifying Features' Creators' Unconventional Narco Narrative (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ "Soju". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ "Program Guide | 2024 Sundance Film Festival". festival.sundance.org. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ Economou, Vassilis (June 18, 2024). "Filmfest München unveils its full programme". Cineuropa. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Delgado, Eliza (January 21, 2024). "'Sujo': Growing Up in Drug Wars - The Daily Utah Chronicle". Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ "Sujo". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ "Sujo". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Aguilar, Carlos (January 19, 2024). "'Sujo' Review: A Darkly Lyrical Portrait of the Systems That Force Mexican Men Into the Drug Wars". IndieWire. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ "'Sujo', Astrid Rondero y Fernanda Valadez, representará a México en los Oscar y Goya". La Crónica de Hoy. September 23, 2024.
External links
- 2024 films
- 2024 drama films
- Films about Mexican drug cartels
- Mexican coming-of-age drama films
- American coming-of-age drama films
- French coming-of-age drama films
- 2020s Spanish-language films
- Spanish-language American films
- Spanish-language French films
- Sundance Film Festival award winners
- 2020s Mexican films
- 2020s American films
- 2020s French films