Sujo

2024 Mexican film

Sujo

Directed by|

* Astrid Rondero
* Fernanda Valadez

Written by|

* Astrid Rondero
* Fernanda Valadez

Produced by|

* Astrid Rondero
* Fernanda Valadez
* Diana Arcega
* Jewerl Keats Ross
* Virginie Devesa
* Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre

Cinematography|

* Ximena Amann

Production
company

Alpha Violet [1]

Running time

| 126 minutes[2]
Countries| Mexico, United States, France
Language| Spanish

Sujo is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez starring Juan Jesús Varela.[3] It premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. It is a co-production between Mexico, the United States and France.

## Premise[edit]

The film follows a young boy, Sujo, after his father, a member of a Mexican cartel, is assassinated, and the struggles of growing up without a father, and disassociating from the blood-soaked legacy that he inherits.

## Plot[edit]

Josué, a sicario for the cartel, is assassinated, leaving his 4-year-old son, Sujo behind. Sujo's aunts, Nemesia and Rosalia, take him to be raised in a remote mountain shack. Sujo spends his childhood in isolation, with only his aunts and Rosalia'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.[4]

## Release[edit]

The film debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.

## Reception[edit]

Film critic Carlos Aguilar graded the film an 'A', citing the film as "intricate in meaning and scope."[5]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Jones, Holly (2024-01-18). "UTA Snaps Up Domestic Sales for Buzzy Mexican Sundance Title 'Sujo,' 'Identifying Features' Creators' Unconventional Narco Narrative (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
2. ^ "Soju". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
3. ^ "Program Guide | 2024 Sundance Film Festival". festival.sundance.org. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
4. ^ Delgado, Eliza (2024-01-21). "'Sujo': Growing Up in Drug Wars - The Daily Utah Chronicle". Retrieved 2024-01-27.
5. ^ Aguilar, Carlos (2024-01-19). "'Sujo' Review: A Darkly Lyrical Portrait of the Systems That Force Mexican Men Into the Drug Wars". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-01-27.

## External links[edit]

* Sujo at IMDb