SUNDOWN

I cared little for what happens in the underdeveloped Sundown, which is more a self-indulging gimmick than a film.

Sundown starts intriguingly when a family abruptly has to leave their Mexican holiday because the matriarch has died in England. Because he cannot locate his passport Tim Roth's Neil misses the plane though, forcing him to stay in Acapulco a few days longer. Soon it transpires he might never want to leave at all.

Whether you like Sundown or not probably hinges on how high your tolerance is for the lack of explanation that is given for the character's behaviour throughout most of the film and for Roth's mostly lethargic, shoulder-shrugging performance, even when he witnesses a beachgoer being shot at blank range, an ominous omen for a sudden burst of violence that sets into motion the third act denouement.

I cared little for what happens in the blissfully short but dramatically severely underdeveloped Sundown. Though the film touches upon some interesting subjects director Michel Franco mostly relies on contrived plot devices and sloppy pseudo-psychology to engage the viewer, making Sundown more a self-indulging gimmick than a film.

release: 2022

director: Michel Franco

starring: Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Iazua Larios