"In his first feature, the writer and director Joel Alfonso Vargas takes a rather unremarkable premise and unspools it with sedulous care." - Natalia Winkelman, New York Times
"This is an exhilarating debut that courses with an all-enveloping urgency and life, even if you may occasionally want to look away." - Zachary Lee, RogerEbert.com
Opens May 22 | In a tight-knit Dominican-American community in The Bronx, Rico (Juan Collado) is hustling his way through the summer, selling bootleg ”nutcracker” cocktails out of a beach cooler and chasing girls without a care in the world. But when his teenage girlfriend, Destiny (Destiny Checo), begins crashing at his place with his family, turning their small apartment into a stage for their messy, complicated young love, it’s only a matter of time before they’re hit with the sobering reality of growing up too fast in a city that waits for no one. Writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas turns his hometown into the heartbeat of his debut feature, teaming up with discovery talent Collado and Checo, to deliver a raw and deeply authentic look at life in The Bronx. With humor and grit, Vargas paints a tender portrait of the chaos and charm of urban life, and the ups and downs of youthful abandon when things take an unexpected turn. Siskel Film Center exclusive.
Awards & Nominations
2025 Sundance - NEXT Special Jury Award
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu