Wetiko (Written Review)

 Wetiko

Cast: Juan Daniel Garcia Trevino, Neil Sandilands, Dalia Xiuhcoati

Writer and director: Kerry Mondragon

*** and 1/2 *'s out of Five

Back before you could just stream music on Spotify, YouTube or TikTok memes.  People would go to stores inside these places called malls in order to hear thier favorite songs.  I worked at one of these establishments for many years and had an absolute blast.  One night one of my bosses invited me out for dinner after work.  I wasn't very hungry and being invited out to Perkins isn't my idea of great food. But she was extremely cute and so of course I said yes.    While we sat waiting for our food and myself sipping on my cherry coke.  She asked me if I ever tripped out before and  I tell her that I have not even smoked weed before.  A smile chuckle emits from her lips and she places a tab of paper no bigger than a postage stamp.  With a simple excuse of we both don't work tomorrow.  She invites me to drop acid with her for a night.  Now I knew she had a boyfriend at the time and so I wasn't expecting anything and to be honest even if she didn't I wasn't expecting anything either.  This girl was way out of my league and it was cool she even invited me out to hang with her.   So we both take the drug and I have very fond memories of  not just the different visuals I encountered that night.  But talking and getting to know more about a person whom I only considered my boss and co worker.  It was the only time I ever took any strong hallucinogens before and as pleasant  as it was. I really had no desire to try it again.  For our lead character in Wetiko.  His experience is much more intense and he didn't even lick any of the toads being offered.

Set in what looks to be the early 70's but is actually very recent.  Our story is about a young Maya man who is asked by a cult called The Community of Love to bring these specific toads for a ceremony that is being conducted.  His grandma warns him the Shaman is a fraud and he shouldn't go but changes her mind once she sees how much money is being offered.  However she does warn him to leave as soon as he gets paid and to avoid witnessing the actual ceremony taking place.   Of course things do happen that are way beyond his control during in this very psychedelic feature from director, Kerry Mondragon.

Being influenced by movies of the late 60's and early seventies by movies including, Wake in Fright, The Trip and Beyond The Valley of the Dolls.  Wetiko brings its audience into a world that is both hypnotic and erotic.  When watching it I got the same visual stylings of comic book artists Charles Burns(The Black Hole) and Daniel Clowes (Ghost World).  It features these normal landscapes but everything is a bit off kilted and somewhat surreal.  Kerry Mondragon is very influenced by the films of the past and Wetiko has the look and feel of an older exploitation movie that Roger Corman would have first released but who Vinegar Syndrome would have released the 4K version.

The cast all does a great job, especially Neil Sandilands as the Shaman, Zake Zeso who coaxes our young Maya delivery boy to stay and partake in the ceremony.  He is both charismatic as he is dangerous. The role of Luz by Dalia Xiuhcoati is good as the beautiful somewhat femme fatale who definitely entices our lead character to stay.  The only actor I feel that doesn't really pull his weight is Juan Daniel Garcia Trevino as Aapo, our lead character.   He isn't terrible but this clearly looks like a performance from someone that isn't an actor.  If the intention was to cast someone who behaved like a regular person who was experiencing these crazy scenarios than good job I guess.  It's just that a lot of his reactions to things that would make most people upset.  He just seems unmoved by it.

While the visuals are indeed stunning and so is the use of music. (the use of both English and Spanish versions of Silence is Golden by The Tremeloes is a nice fit)   The story at times were a bit confusing.  I really didn't fully understand the intentions this group had and why it was so important that Zake wanted Aapo to be the one to prepare the toads for the ceremony.  The use of subtitles for some languages and not others was a bit frustrating as well.

Director, Kerry Mondragon certainly has a very unique and creative style that reminds me of great visual artists for the screen including, Nicholas Winding Refn( The Neon Demon) Boots Riley ( I Love Boosters) and Anna Biller (The Love Witch).  I very much look forward to other projects he comes up with because when watching this flick.  It did take me back to that time with my boss and I was experiencing something new I haven't ever experienced before.   

I'm a proud member of the Minnesota Film Critics Association.  Read my bio below.

https://mnfilmcriticsassociation.com/2024/09/25/jasonhemming/

Check out my full interview with director Kerry Mondragon