Motel Destino
Brooding Brazilian thriller by Karim Aïnouz (Firebrand) in which a young fugitive finds refuge in a remote motel, only to become entangled in a perilous affair with the motel owner's wife.
The neon-hued Motel Destino, a roadside sex hotel steaming under the burning blue skies of the northeastern coast of Brazil, is run by hot-headed Elias and his restless younger wife Dayana. The unexpected arrival of 21-year-old Heraldo, on the run after a botched hit, disrupts the established order. As the tropical noir plays out, loyalties and desires intertwine to reveal that destiny has its own mysterious design.
The story unfolds against a backdrop of lust, bright colours, decorated here and there with mating donkeys, cobra snakes and paintings that have a strong effect on the young Heraldo’s state of mind. An intoxicating and clever interweaving of suspense, sensuality, jealousy and revenge, with more than one nod to The Postman Always Rings Twice.