Sujo
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Production company | Alpha Violet [1] |
Running time | 126 minutes[2] |
| Countries | Mexico United States France |
| Language | Spanish |
Sujo is a 2024 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.
Premise[edit]
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[edit]
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.[4]
Release[edit]
The film debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.
Reception[edit]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 23 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on six critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[6] Film critic Carlos Aguilar graded the film an 'A', citing the film as "intricate in meaning and scope."[7]
References[edit]
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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 March 21, 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.
