Rotting In The Sun | Review by: Luke Elisio

It isn’t often that a movie comes along that is so grounded in originality, armed with a clear creative voice and bold ideas. Sebastián Silva’s “Rotting in the Sun” is a movie that is brimming with such creativity and boldness, a winner that is sure to leave audiences stunned and amazed. As both a director and co-writer Silva proves himself to be a no-holds-barred kind of filmmaker. Nothing is off limits for him to critique. The movie never shies away from being a cutting satire of how our world is completely addicted to social media and just how performative we as people tend to be. What could have easily been a movie made purely for shock value ends up being quite poignant and juggles the balance between a dark comedy and a thriller very well. Plus, a healthy amount of steamy eroticism always keeps things interesting. “Rotting in the Sun” may not be the most shocking movie of the year - I still firmly believe that honour belongs to “Beau Is Afraid” - but if you’re the type of person to shy away from full frontal nudity, than prepare to gasp.

It’s always exciting to watch a movie that isn’t tainted by the influence of mainstream Hollywood. “Rotting in the Sun” doesn’t try to be like any movie you’ve seen before, almost giving off the air as if it doesn’t care whether it garners fans or not. This is a movie made by a director who clearly highly values story and character over things like tie-in toy deals and the potential for making sequels. It would be a gamble for most filmmakers to make a movie so off-beat and at times verging on the nihilistic, but Silva is nothing if not a director of his convictions and the result is well more than worth it.

The movie plods along at an enjoyable, expert pace a fact that only adds to Silva’s appeal as a filmmaker. It’s a wild ride to say the least but if you have a taste for the unusual, than “Rotting in the Sun” is a must-see. With this recent addition to his already intriguing resume, Silva solidifies himself as a director who’s career is far from being i danger of rotting. Like his vision, his career is guaranteed stay fresh for the foreseeable future.

4/5

Review by: Luke Elisio

#toronto #review #movie #Mubi

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