SUJO Trailer: Mexico’s Oscar Entry Explores the Life of a Young Man in Cartel Land

Sujo, the latest visceral drama from directing duo Vernanda Faladez & Astrid Rondero (Identifying Features), spans decades in the life of a boy growing into a man in the shadow of the cartel. It premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. Mexico has also submitted the film as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. The official trailer has now arrived ahead of its release in theaters this December.

Here’s the official synopsis:

After a cartel gunman (David Alejandro Rocha) from a small Mexican town is murdered, Sujo (Kevin Aguilar), his beloved four-year-old son, is left an orphan and in danger. Sujo narrowly escapes death with the help of his aunt (Yadira Pérez) who raises him in the isolated countryside amidst hardship, poverty, and the constant peril associated with his identity. When he enters his teens (Juan Jesús Varela) a rebelliousness awakens in him, and like a rite of passage, he joins the local cartel. As a young man, Sujo attempts to make his life anew, away from the violence of his hometown. However, when his father’s legacy catches up with him, he will come face-to-face with what seems to be his destiny.

In my review from Sundance, I said, “Valdez and Rondero continue to closely examine the lives of contemporary Mexicans impacted by the dangers and tragedies within their country. In Sujo, they portray the ongoing cartel violence and influence that looms over the lives of the impoverished town, as well as the risk of innocence being lost in that environment. [The film] has a subtle grim quality, but it is not void of the ray of hope underneath… Juan Jesús Varela – in his second collaboration with the directors – gives a performance that will grab you by the heart with his sensitive and layered portrayal of an outcast trying to give himself a chance in life despite what society may have written in the stars for him. A captivating portrait of poetic vigor, the duo of Valdez and Rondero have created a David Copperfield-like tale that points out the cruel reality of young men in Mexico being forced into drug wars. However, it will not leave you hopeless. It is also enlivened by striking imagery, thanks to eloquent lensing by cinematographer Ximena Amann. With Sujo, Fernanda Valdez and Astrid Rondero have made a visionary and remarkable sophomore feature that may launch them as new auteurs.”

Sujo will be released by The Forge in select theaters on December 6. Check out the trailer below.

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