This film escapes conventional storytelling, leaving viewers uneasy and contemplative. It invites either strong affection or strong aversion. 21 paraíso follows Julia and Mateo, a couple living in a fully rural setting who earn income by sharing sexual videos on the platform OnlyFans. Directed by Néstor Ruiz Medina, the feature unfolds through twenty‑one moments in the couple’s life as their relationship cracks, offering a view of paradise that is not entirely real, seen through the lens of a modern app. The director explains that the team aimed to move away from familiar love stories, seeking a narrative that would feel entirely different with each new scene.
OnlyFans sits at the story’s center as a pretext to probe what lies behind a screen. What appears on the app is a vision of bodies that seem to lack life beyond the frame, without feeling, suffering, or conflict, as Ruiz notes. In shaping the characters, the crew spoke with content creators from the platform, yet they consistently wore a barrier when discussing private lives. The goal was to access the deep sensations of those who reveal their sexuality online. Produced by Begin Again, the film presents an idealized social media partnership—an extraordinary home and a passionate bond—but the true story runs deeper than the surface. Julia, played by María Lázaro, describes their union as a paradise that seems flawless, yet hides something more complex beneath.
Naturalizing the bodies is a recurring theme. The app, built on a subscription model where fans pay to follow their favorites, has sparked controversy since its inception for enabling pornographic content. Lázaro states that she harbors no prejudice and supports the normalization of bodies, even if nudity can trigger platform blocks on appearances such as a movie poster. She argues that sexualization is something that viewers choose to assign to their own gaze. While she felt comfortable during filming, she admits that the premiere in a full cinema could be unsettling when a sex scene and masturbation sequence appeared on the screen, highlighting that society may still be hesitant to accept such openness.
The film does not portray sexual relations as idyllic or perfect. Barona points out that much of cinema frames sex as an experience of pleasure, while 21 paraíso centers on discomfort and insecurity. The sex depicted is not about savoring ecstasy; rather, it invites viewers to witness a more uneasy, unpolished reality. This approach challenges conventional expectations and aims to reflect how real life often diverges from glossy cinematic portrayals.
At its heart, the movie is a love story that some countries classify as erotic drama. The screenplay, developed by the director and the two actors, sought to avoid clichés and present a balanced, nonjudgmental relationship where there are no clear heroes or villains. As time passes, the tiny shifts in identity and the evolving dynamics of the couple push them toward new tensions. The focus is on glances, quiet moments, and specific situations rather than dialogue alone, inviting the audience to participate emotionally in the relationship and see themselves within its trials.
The couple faces a crisis, with the female lead increasingly consumed by the persona she portrays online. Lázaro reflects on the question of selfhood: if one does not know who they truly are, how can they be well with another person? The introspection suggests that love can exist alongside conflict, and one can want to be close while simultaneously want to distance. The film presents ruptures and real-life separations as common human experiences rather than dramatic catastrophes.
The narrative culminates in a sense of lost paradise. The creators built the story through close collaboration and improvisation, crafting the couple’s history from their first meeting, their entry into the adult industry, and their transition to OnlyFans up to the present moment. Selecting twenty-one key moments—each a single extended take—proved to be the most challenging, but these sequences crystallize the arc of paradise lost for the protagonists.
Despite the modest scale of the project, the cast and director discovered their own version of paradise through the film’s reception. They formed a tight team and still managed to contend with some of Europe’s finest cinema at major festivals. With new projects on the horizon, they continue to advocate for author-driven cinema that pushes boundaries and resists easy categorization.