Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, the Mexican film-making duo behind the superb drama Identifying Features, return to the theme of how cartel violence leaves scars on ordinary lives. Sujo, the titular character, is orphaned at four when his gangster father is executed. As a young adult, impressively played by Juan Jesús Varela, Sujo is torn between his bloody birthright and the chance to escape and forge a life for himself outside of the clutches of the cartel. This slow-burning drama, which won one of the top prizes at Sundance earlier this year, elegantly balances a spark of hope against a slowly rising tide of dread.
In UK and Irish cinemas
