Sujo — Film Review
In Sujo, Mexican filmmakers Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez — who collaborated on the acclaimed Sin señas particulares (2000) — direct a powerful study of violence and its reach, blending documentary immediacy with moments of lyrical looseness. The film unfolds as four episodes named after four characters, yet the heart of the narrative remains with Sujo (Juan Jesús Varela), one of countless orphans shaped by Mexico’s narcotics trade, seen at different ages. To tell the story of a boy who marches toward a new life while neither fully denying nor renouncing his past, Rondero and Valadez balance the stark realism of the world with quiet glimmers of magic.
Cast: Juan Jesús Varela, Yadira Pérez, Alexis Varela, Sandra Lorenzano, Karla Garrido, Jairo Hernandez, and Kevin Aguilar.
Premiere: 2025
★★★★
In Sujo, Mexican directors Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, both behind the remarkable Sin señas particulares (2000) — directed by the first and written and produced by both — film the violence and explore its reach in a manner that feels deeply attentive. Although the work unfolds across four episodes named after four characters, the central figure is Sujo (Juan Jesús Varela), one of the many orphans formed by the country’s narcotics trade, presented to the audience at several stages of life. To narrate the journey of a boy who strides toward a future yet cannot fully erase his past, the filmmakers craft a precarious balance between raw realism and elements that hint at the magical or surreal.
That brutal reality is approached with a forceful clarity and a delicate refinement at once. The filmmakers deftly employ off-screen space, steering away from obvious sensationalism and leaning into suspense. They also draw on magical and legendary motifs to underscore the film’s central themes and the emotional depth of its well-developed characters, with particular emphasis on the women who shape the story. From this intersection of the real and the mysterious rises a film that speaks to the lasting scars of violence while signaling the possibility of moving forward without forgetting to reckon with what has happened.
The narrative’s ethical insistence on memory and resilience is reinforced by the performances, especially the women whose presence transcends circumstance. The film’s careful pacing and restrained dramatic choices create a tension that feels earned, not manufactured, inviting viewers to consider how trauma is carried, negotiated, and sometimes renegotiated over time. The result is a powerful meditation on survival, memory, and the stubborn hope that life can be rebuilt even when the past continues to cast a long shadow.
Video reference: YouTube video p_7o6vezne4.
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