Title: Aferrado
Year: 2024
Rating: 5
Cast: N/A
Description: The greasy grime of Mexico City’s underbelly clings to every frame of Esteban Azuela’s “Aferrado,” a gripping character study disguised as a crime thriller. Joel, a man trapped between a life of wrenching engines and wielding weapons, faces a moral crossroads fueled by familial love and the crushing weight of past choices. This isn't a flashy gangster epic; it's a quiet, intensely personal drama exploring the agonizing price of regret and the desperate yearning for redemption. The film's power lies not in explosive action sequences, but in the simmering tension that builds as Joel wrestles with his conscience, his past threatening to derail his hard-fought bid for a better future. Azuela masterfully crafts a world of morally gray areas, forcing us to confront the complexities of a man desperately trying to escape his own shadow. "Aferrado" is a poignant testament to the enduring strength of family and the enduring possibility of second chances, even amidst the darkest of circumstances.