Desierto

A solid little film that’s perfect for an evening when you don’t need anything too complex and just want to switch off your brain. Jonas Cuarón has mostly appeared as his father’s assistant in films, but here he had control as the director. Desierto probably won’t surprise you with its cleverness, but rather with its interesting setting and even more intriguing character of the American man, who doesn’t like Mexican immigrants and expresses this in a very unorthodox way. The landscape is truly inhospitable, and I appreciate that the whole film was shot outdoors, as it added authenticity. What I have to criticize are the Mexican characters, who didn’t convince me much with their performances as a viewer. Some moments were drawn out, while others had me on the edge of my seat with their careful and perfect tension-building, especially the scene with the dog and the flare in the cacti, which gave me chills. The ending disappointed me because it felt abrupt. To sum it all up, I think the potential was fulfilled. Nobody expected a masterpiece here anyway. The performance of Jeffrey Dean Morgan and some breathtaking moments compel me to give the film 67%. (25/03/2017)

A fairly enjoyable manhunt that is sweetly brutal in places, suspenseful, with the desolate desert adding to the atmosphere. The film runs out of breath a bit towards the end, but it's still an enjoyable addition to the cat and mouse survival thrillers. The uncompromising Jeffrey Dean Morgan with his sniper rifle and sharp dog was solid. 65% (12/10/2016)

It doesn't pay off to cross from Mexico to the United States because sometimes there are guys there who like to hunt pests. We follow the fate of several Mexicans against a single American with a rifle. Who will win? A simple plot, yet it's filmed well enough that you're never bored and you're just waiting to see who falls last. (18/10/2016)