Title: Sujo
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez
Starring: Juan Jesus Varela, Yadira Perez
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins

What It Is: A young boy named Sujo barely escapes the mistakes of his murdered cartel member father. As he grows into a man, he must decide: follow in his father’s footsteps and be a ruthless gang member or forge a different path for himself and end the cycle of violence.

What We Think: This movie is a four act epic depicting the many different stages of a boy’s life. It is the most grounded and thought provoking coming of age film I think I’ve ever seen, and I’m not typically a fan of that genre. From act one the tension is high and we witness a rather perilous, hypnotic journey as Sujo matures. The story is very long, but by the end you feel like it all makes sense and was all worth it in the end. I have to admit, I didn’t always know where the story was going, but I would say that’s merely because the movie is very reflective of real life in that sense. This movie has us watch a young boy as he changes and grows. The birth and death of friendships, the unfair hands dealt, the enticement of a life of a criminal and the horrifying repercussions. Sujo has a brutal, brutal journey and this film communicates so much with so little. I don’t think there’s ever truly a point where one feels like Sujo is completely safe in his environment, and watching his origins, it becomes rather sympathetic when we see that he wants a better life than the one he has. I did not know what to expect from this movie, but wound up respecting it and the gargantuan story it had to tell.

The story did feel slow at parts and normally that would bring a movie down for me. That being said, after realizing the sheer scope this movie accomplishes, I found myself being pretty forgiving of that. This movie encompasses an entire youth’s lifetime and more or less showcases the highs and lows of someone with an unconventional life. The cast, even the young children actors, were all pretty solid, and despite being highly art house, it felt very genuine and real. All in all, it’s a beautiful portrait of a fictional character’s life.

Our Grade: A, a rock solid, well written drama definitely worthy of the praise and awards. Sujo is a thought provoking piece that stays with you well after the credits have rolled.