Sujo
2024 Mexican film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sujo is a 2024 coming-of-age crime drama film written and directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, it stars Juan Jesús Varela.[3]
_poster.jpg)
- Astrid Rondero
- Fernanda Valadez
- Astrid Rondero
- Fernanda Valadez
- Astrid Rondero
- Fernanda Valadez
- Diana Arcega
- Jewerl Keats Ross
- Virginie Devesa
- Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre
- Ximena Amann
| Sujo | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Cinematography |
|
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Astrid Rondero |
Production company | Alpha Violet [1] |
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
|
Running time | 126 minutes[2] |
| Countries |
|
| Language | Spanish |
The film had its world premiere at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize.[4] It was selected as the Mexican entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, but was not nominated.
Plot
Josué, a sicario for the cartel, is assassinated, leaving his 4-year-old son Sujo behind. Sujo's aunts, Nemesia and Rosalía, take him to be raised in a remote mountain shack. Sujo spends his childhood in isolation, with only his aunts and Rosalía's sons, Jai and Jeremy.
As the boys grow older, Sujo and his peers rebel and become involved with the drug violence around them. During a turf war, Jeremy is killed, and Sujo's aunt Nemesia sends him off to live in Mexico City.
Release
The film debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival[5] on January 19, 2024. Its festival run also includes screenings at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival ('Horizontes Latinos' strand) and the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.[6][7]
Damned Distribution set an August 21, 2024 theatrical release date in France.[8] The Forge acquired North-American distribution and set a November 29, 2024 theatrical release date in Canada and the United States.[6] Beam Films acquired distribution films in the United Kingdom.[7]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 29 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "A consistently gripping coming-of-age story, Sujo reaffirms Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez as two of the most exciting rising talents in Mexican cinema."[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on six critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[10] Reviewing for IndieWire, Carlos Aguilar graded the film an 'A', citing the film as "intricate in meaning and scope."[11]
In September 2024, the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas chose the film as Mexico's submission for the Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film and for the Academy Award for Best International Film.[12]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sundance Film Festival | January 26, 2024 | World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic | Sujo | Won | [13][14] |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | September 28, 2024 | Latin Horizons | Nominated | [15] | |
| Spanish Cooperation Award | Won | [16] | |||
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | January 12, 2025 | Ibero-American Award | Won | [17] |
