Sundance 2025 Review: Mad Bills to Pay (Or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) – “A stripped-down production.”
A beach hustler selling juice drinks gets a 16-year-old girl pregnant and has to prepare for impending fatherhood.
Domestic turmoil is an everyday occurrence between Rico, his sister and single mother with the siblings constantly verbally sparing with each other. While Rico accuses his sister of being floozy, he later has to admit that his teenage girlfriend is pregnant and life has to be arranged to accommodate the fact that a wife and child will need to be supported.
This is a stripped-down production where the camera remains stationary, thereby allowing the actors to perform in the moment. The dialogue comes across as improvised than scripted which makes the scenes more authentic. The only trouble is that the numerous shouting matches quickly become groan-inducing rather than dramatic emotional moments.
The antagonist is not an individual per se but the tendency not to think through one’s actions and having to deal with the consequences of lacking foresight. In a way giving in to impulses leads to living life to the fullest; however, it is also the quickest avenue to get sidelined and have to course correct into an entirely different direction that in most cases is a lesser option. It is this realization that causes the proceedings to be a sad social commentary as well as a celebration of people trying to make the best of their situation.
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival takes place January 23 to February 2, 2025, in person and online, and for more information visit sundance.org.
Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.