“[Cocote] shines a light on an underrepresented part of the world and casts a truly outlandish spell that confounds and overwhelms.” So began our review of Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias’ debut feature, a crime drama whose formal schema is closer to drug-induced freak-out than gritty descent into brutal violence. (Though there’s that, too.) Shifting aspect ratios, blinking color schemes, and an assaultive sound design place us in the shoes of a man seeking revenge for the death of his father — a brutal subject handled brutally, gracefully.
With Cocote opening next month, we’re proud to debut a theatrical trailer that, as edited by De Los Santos Arias himself, neatly encapsulates the movie’s fever-dream impact. As we said in our review, “As a feature debut, there’s ample potential on display. The attention and commitment to detail makes for a trying though ultimately compelling portrayal of culture. The visual virtuosity probably needs to be reined in a little, but it’s safe to expect future cinematic gorgeousness from this filmmaker. Above all, the ending of Cocote, including that almost violent cut back to the glorious swimming pool, suggests great expressive prowess that goes beyond mere technical dexterity.”
Watch the preview below:
A rapturous crime fable set in the Dominican Republic, Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias’ Cocote follows Alberto, a kind-hearted gardener returning home to attend his father’s funeral. When he discovers that a powerful local figure is responsible for his father’s death, Alberto realizes that he’s been summoned by his family to avenge the murder. It’s an unthinkable act — especially for him, an Evangelical Christian. But as pressure mounts, he sees few ways out. Questions of faith, tradition and honor course through this electrifying film, which, seemingly at the speed of thought itself, jumps between film formats, colors, and aspect ratios, radically envisioning a community torn asunder by senseless violence.
Cocote opens at New York’s IFC Center on July 27, with a national roll-out to follow.