Let’s catch up with another movie on the channel and on the streamer. It is another A24 title, which Max has an agreement with, and its headliner is Julio Torres. You know the guy if you watched HBO’s LOS ESPOOKYS and the recent FANTASMAS. Not only have those off-beat shows kept him in front of our faces but he also recently made his debut as a moviemaker with PROBLEMISTA. The movie was released in the U. S. on March 01, 2024 and was written, directed, and co-produced by Torres. Alongside Torres, it stars Tilda Swinton, RZA, Greta Lee, Catalina Saavedra, James Scully, and Isabella Rossellini.
Since it comes from the mind of young Mr. Torres, you can count on it being a surrealist comedy just filled with absurd, quirky themes and scenes. What is it about? In a nutshell, the film follows a struggling aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who starts working for an erratic art-world outcast in New York City, hoping to stay in the country and realize his dream before his work visa expires.
During Alejandro’s childhood in El Salvador, he and his mother create various imaginative creations, with him being his mother’s finest. His mother recounts a recurring dream of him venturing into a mysterious cave with a monster inside, symbolizing his arrival to the unknown. That unknown ends up being the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, NYC. After some big-city mishaps, he finds an employer named Elizabeth (Swinton) and in his style, Torres puts his character through some oddball experiences on his road to becoming a major toy maker.
To sort out all the surreal shenanigans would ruin it for you. You’ll have to check PROBLEMISTA for yourself for that. As you might guess, critics pretty much all conclude that if you like Torres’ style then this movie is for you, if not, you’ll just sit there scratching your head.
