Content warning: The following article contains mentions of self-harm, strong language, substance abuse and nudity.
“Rotting in the Sun” is a sweltering, raw and gruesome film. Sebastián Silva wants to show you everything the studios will not: lots of full-frontal male nudity and liberal drug use all tied up into a twisting murder mystery. When speaking about the film at a USC screening, Silva said that he was interested in showing the pores and the sweat of his characters in a way that was “almost grotesque.” During the Q&A, he captured the audience almost as much as his film did with his charisma and reckless abandon.
The film begins with observations about the malaise of modern life through the use of technology, as Silva stars as an exaggerated version of himself. Silva is a Chilean filmmaker who prefers to work from his personal experiences in the most honest way he can. His character is first seen Googling himself, looking despondent as a human defecates in the park followed by his dog Chima attempting to eat it at the Plaza Río de Janeiro, a park in Mexico City.
Once we return to his chic, open-concept artist’s loft, we are introduced to his landlord, Mateo (Mateo Riestra), and the maid of the complex, Vero (Catalina Saavedra). Saavedra brings complete sincerity to the role where it never feels like a performance. Described as “unprecious” by the director, the Chilean actress first showcased her tightly modulated acting chops in Silva’s esteemed project, “The Maid.” She holds nothing back in her delivery. She brings blood, sweat and tears to her character’s complex unraveling. For the sake of authenticity, he wanted to hire a Mexican actress for the role in “Rotting in the Sun.” Yet, Saavedra proved she could master the proper accent which won Silva over in the end.
Mimicking his real-life experiences at the time, Silva works as a painter, watches Chima, reads a comically existentialist book and snorts copious amounts of ketamine. He talks openly and frequently about committing suicide by taking rat poison called Pentobarbital until he is encouraged by a friend to visit a gay nude beach. This is where he meets Jordan Firstman’s character, also playing himself, with whom he eventually decides to work on an HBO project.
The real-life introduction between Firstman and Silva inspired their character’s on-screen meet-cute: while visiting Mexico City, the two met and Firstman expressed being a fan of one of Silva’s films. Silva was looking for a “gringo” to add to the story, and while at the USC screening, he described Firstman as “talking over everyone, showing off his Instagram” and he thought, “This is the ‘gringo’ I need.” Silva is an engaging and uninhibited storyteller. He would frequently wave his arms around expressively, taking the microphone with him. In the film, Firstman makes plans to visit Silva, but by the time he arrives, something has gone terribly wrong. We spend the latter part of the film with Vero, Mateo and Firstman as the three attempt to navigate Silva’s disappearance.
The film plays so naturally and effortlessly that it feels like it was all improvised, but the director reassured the audience at the Q&A that the script was sharply written and they stuck to it fully. It was fun to see Jordan Firstman charm in his first major on-screen role, but Saavedra as Vero takes center stage and steals the show. Moving between moments of restraint and fervor, we experience the second portion of the film through her vantage point. She brings a silent intensity that boils as she continues to maneuver through the escalating circumstances.
Silva covers plenty of themes in “Rotting in the Sun,” most notably turning the spotlight onto himself. Rather than mocking easy targets, he, as a gay man, pokes fun at his own culture. He felt this approach would be more interesting. He captures the restlessness and anxiety that comes with the prevalence of technology in such an intentional way, as he shows himself seeking validation from his online presence and doom scrolling through innocuous Instagram videos. He also collaborated with his friend Martine Gutierrez, an American performance artist who plays a less successful one in the film. Together they came up with a comedic exhibit for her character. At the screening, Silva described it as “sh—y art which exploits transness for a mediocre purpose.” He explained that it was “so obvious and on the nose and dumb” and this small moment in the film illustrates his nuanced approach to comedy.
Silva charmed a giggling audience with his fearless contrarian takes, especially when he spoke about his aversion to big studios. “Studios are doing their own thing and I don’t belong in that world and I don’t want to belong. I am not jealous of a Marvel movie at all… I find Marvel psychotic and I honestly find it so weird that we think that it’s normal… a guy with panties on, flying around, killing everybody, but no one dies! They are destroying cities and bridges and it’s family entertainment? That’s why America is so f—ed. If aliens came to Earth to study us, they would be like ‘what the f—?’ It’s just so flamboyant… It’s so gay. Marvel and RuPaul are the gayest things,” Silva said. The crowd was riotous.
Though his observations were playing for humor, Silva genuinely sticks to his guns when it comes to his anti-studio approach. It comes across in the honest and harsh ways that situations are depicted in the film, which makes it feel unexpected, fresh and engrossing. Reflecting on his nostalgia for grittier media, he said that he misses the type of edge that was found in films of the 1960s and ‘70s. “[Since then] we became afraid to make mistakes,” he said, leaving only the most clichéd and obvious stories seeing the light of day.
“Rotting in the Sun” finds moments to inject current and clever humor into even the most thrilling and dire moments. There is a situation when Firstman’s character is attempting to speak Spanish, but knowing very little of the language, resorts to speaking English with an off-putting Spanish accent, hilariously commenting on this oft-used tactic. At another point, a character confesses using Google Translate, but the app jumbles up the context and the vital information falls on deaf ears. Silva seamlessly finds ways to observe the more embarrassing aspects of the human experience, allowing audiences to ruminate on these commonalities momentarily, without detracting from the story.
Sebastián Silva’s unconventional approach has not held him back yet; it has only made his films stronger and more exacting. He can be more specific in his scrutiny and more entertaining because of it. This unapologetic nature might not be appealing to everyone, but it packs a punch and will leave you reeling —more than any Marvel movie ever has.
“Rotting in the Sun” is now available for streaming on Mubi.