Upon Open Sky (HSBC Spanish Film Festival) - Film Review

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Tue 11 Jun 2024 - Thu 11 Jul 2024

Set in early 1990s Mexico, Upon Open Sky is a tale of revenge. Teenage brothers Fernando and Salvador decide to take a road trip to the border between Mexico and the US to track down the man responsible for the car accident that caused their father's death. A stepsister they've only really just met, Paula joins them to embark on a tense journey that'll ultimately have them come to terms with the loss of their father. Set across a rugged arid landscape, it's a film imbued with youthful rage that questions forgiveness and love, as each of the siblings learns about themselves and the world.

Directed by Mariana Arriaga and Santiago Ariaga, this 117 min long dreama stars Manolo Cardona, Theo Goldin, Maximo Hollander, Federica García, Julio César Cedillo, Sergio Mayer Mori, Julio Bracho and Cecilia Suárez. One of many gems, be sure to explore other films at the Spanish Film Festival this year. See here for the 2024 PDF Program.


Twelve-year-old Salvador (Theo Goldin) is on a road trip with his father (Manolo Cardona). They're on a hunting trip that would have included elder brother Fernando (Maximo Hollander), except he's grounded by his mum for not getting the grades at school. Stopping to fill the car and have a bite to eat, they're on their way again, happily engaged in each other's company when their world shatters in the blink of an eye. One that Salvador doesn't remember in the aftermath, other than the scars he carries on his chest. A semi-truck violently crashing into them has taken their father's life. A couple of years on, their mother (Cecilia Suárez) remarries Paula's father Claudio (Julio Bracho), and the teen brothers get a step-sister (Federica Garcia as Paula) they barely know.

A brooding presence, though he was not on the road trip, Fernando has been quietly hunting down information about the driver of the truck that killed his father. Once all the information is in, he plans to seek him out with his brother, and kill him, when the parents take a two-week trip away to make up for the honeymoon they never really had. Refusing to be left at home, Paula and her boyfriend Eduardo (Sergio Mayer Mori) invite themselves along. They threaten to tell the parents about the secret road trip if they're not included, totally unaware of the bad intentions and the gun accompanying the trip.


A road trip and coming-of-age story, these teens are still discovering themselves as they grieve. Salvador is facing a sexual awakening, while all three are still working out how they fit as step-siblings. Paula is sassy, but we discover she's actually had a sheltered life, having lost a mum she's never known. In a way, the barren landscape reflects their emptiness and loss as they take an emotional journey, not really knowing how it's all going to end. A ticking time bomb, they find their father's killer, and when push comes to shove, each one discovers what they're capable of in coming to terms with their father's death.

A little lengthy where not a lot happens at times, and a brooding atmosphere that's a little lacklustre - Federica Garcia as Paula lifts the scenes she's in, with her sassiness. But when Julio Cesar Cedillo (Lucio Estrada the truck driver) comes on the scene, even though it lacks tension, things get a little more exciting and keep you on your toes as you never know which way brash, youthful decisions are going to go. These are also the scenes with the most emotional content, even though the driver doesn't seem to express the desired depth of remorse. Salvadore's common sense reasoning brings it home in an undeniable moment of truth, in an emotional outburst. Overall, the film runs out of steam and does not have the crackling pace it needs for the tension it requires and the performances don't really bring it home.



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