I'm No Longer Here (2019)

Director: Fernando Frias

Stars: Juan Daniel Garcia Treviño, Xueming Angelina Chen, Coral Puente
Runtime: 112 minutes

Synopsis: In Monterrey, Mexico, a young street gang spends their days dancing to slowed-down cumbia and attending parties. After a mix-up with a local cartel, their leader is forced to migrate to the U.S. but quickly longs to return home.

Performances: 8/10
Screenplay: 7/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 9/10

Verdict: "I'm No Longer Here" is a Mexican film that was released on Netflix not too long ago. The acclaim it received earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival made me eager to check out what it was all about, but to my surprise, it barely generated any buzz upon its wide release on the streaming service. For that reason, I kept postponing it due to an internal fear that it wasn't going to live up to my initial expectations. These doubts, thankfully, turned out to be very wrong as Fernando Frias' effort was simply one of the best I have seen this year so far.

Told using a nonlinear structure I personally found to be unnecessary, the film follows a young gang member whose street life leads him to new beginnings in New York, far from the threats he was subject to by an opposing gang in his hometown of Monterrey. Amazingly portrayed by Juan Daniel Garcia Treviño, the character of Ulises not only serves as a statement on immigration but also introduces us to the fascinating culture of Kolombia, exemplified by their baggy clothes and connection to a slowed-down version of the Cumbia genre of music. And quite frankly, that last point, which is complemented by gorgeous cinematography and a stunning soundtrack, was what hooked me most about the movie. I'm a sucker for films that allow me to take a look at a culture I'm not familiar with, and this one achieved that in an extremely efficient and welcoming way, making up for the slight lack of depth that the script suffers from.

I'm honestly surprised that "I'm No Longer Here" isn't being talked about as much as it deserves to be. It's available on Netflix and I recommend at least checking out the first 20 minutes to see if it's something you'd be interested in watching.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10