Sebastián Silva is detached from life, struggling to succeed in the art world and habitually taking ketamine. When he meets social media influencer Jordan Firstman at a nudist beach, the two... Read allSebastián Silva is detached from life, struggling to succeed in the art world and habitually taking ketamine. When he meets social media influencer Jordan Firstman at a nudist beach, the two discuss collaborating, but fate has other plans.Sebastián Silva is detached from life, struggling to succeed in the art world and habitually taking ketamine. When he meets social media influencer Jordan Firstman at a nudist beach, the two discuss collaborating, but fate has other plans.
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- Stars
- Awards
- 3 wins & 13 nominations total
- Juan
- (as Juan Silva)
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This film seems to examine the contrasts within the gay community between hedonistic abandon and self-hate. It shows these elements living simultaneously and seems to unite what would seem to be incompatible opposites.
Jordan Firstman plays a boisterous, fun-loving social media influencer that can't take anything seriously. Sebastian Silva plays a nihilistic depressive to does drugs not for fun but to feel numb and dead. When Sebastian goes missing, Jordan is forced inside of Sebastian's world where the misery he left behind begins to infect Jordan.
In a sense, both of these characters are initially unlikable in their extremes. You desperately want Sebastian to get out of his head and see the beauty around him, but you're also begging Jordan to stop treating everything like a game, and yet when Jordan slowly but surely starts absorbing Sebastian's dark persona you feel awful about it. This film is definitely a smorgasbord of mixed feelings.
But the most powerful weapon this film has is Catalina Saavedra's performance as Vera, an employee of Sebastian's landlord, who is living with terrible trauma, guilt and fear. Her acting reaches right into your guts and rips them apart. Powerful stuff.
Yet it's the metaphorical implications of this film that truly eat away at you once the film ends. You can't let go of these very real feeling people, who are all different, who are all chaotic, and all wind up in the same mess. Along with examinations of the gay community, it textures that with other kinds of culture clashes. Cultures within cultures within cultures. All falling into one dark hole of a mystery at once.
I'll say 9/10 for now, but depending how I feel when I wake up tomorrow, it might be a perfect 10.
I'm gonna be chewing on this one for a while. I'm writing this review to help me digest it. It's that kind of film. Heavy.
Whether or not this film is for you I can't say, but I can definitely warn that it is not a comedy. It is a dark and disturbing film that plays with your emotions and leaves you feeling messed up. But if you can appreciate that sort of thing, then this film is excellent.
First and foremost, I couldn't help but be annoyed by the fact that the movie was filmed in Mexico with no Mexican actors playing Mexican characters. It felt like a missed opportunity to add authenticity to the story, and it was distracting throughout the film.
On the positive side, the characters were a highlight for me. They were well-developed and likable, which made me invest in their journey. The chemistry between the actors was palpable, even if they weren't Mexican, and this added depth to the story.
Speaking of the story, it was refreshingly original and natural. I appreciated the unique narrative and the way it unfolded. The plot kept me engaged, and I was genuinely curious about how it would all play out.
However, my enthusiasm took a hit towards the end. It felt like the filmmakers didn't put as much effort into wrapping up the story as they did in setting it up. The ending felt somewhat lazy and left too many loose ends, which left me somewhat unsatisfied.
In the end, I'd rate this movie a solid 7. Despite its flaws, the original storyline and well-drawn characters made it an enjoyable watch. I just wish the filmmakers had paid more attention to authenticity and a satisfying conclusion.
It was such an interesting idea from the director to come out with this story. It's like a moodboard of the queer community but also about the difference between being a local or a visitor in a foreign country.
I wasn't expecting the twist through not even halfway the movie. The character of Vero is silly but also brilliant. Jordan is just being Jordan and we just love to watch. Like he said, he's a happy clown!
Between all the shots on the dicks, the Hitchcock mystery or the drugs use, this movie was very original and it just shows that you don't need alot of budget or material to make a movie that will catch your attention and made you think after.
It is also refreshing to watch a queer movie that is not about finding your identity or about love.
We need more projects between Sebastian and Jordan!!
Did you know
- TriviaIn this movie Catalina Saavedra reprises her role as the maid - after having played the maid in the critically acclaimed 'The Maid' (2009) by the same director.
- Quotes
Jordan Firstman: I'm sorry. I've, like, never met someone so obsessed with drowning.
- ConnectionsReferences The Maid (2009)
- How long is Rotting in the Sun?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Истлевший на солнце
- Filming locations
- Zipolite, Oaxaca, Mexico(beach scenes)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $14,707
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.92:1