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Life and death are at risk in the desert landscapes of "Desierto," a cat-and-mouse thriller with an unmistakable political message.
Moisés (Gael Garcia Bernal) is part of a group of Mexicans crossing illegally into the United States. When their truck breaks down, they have to walk across the Southwestern desert, where they are ambushed by Sam (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a rifle-toting border vigilante who starts using the migrants for target practice. With much of the group shot dead, Moisés and a few stragglers have to use their wits to dodge Sam and his vicious German shepherd.
Director and co-writer Jonás Cuarón (who co-wrote "Gravity" with his director brother Alfonso) sets up a simple chase scenario and generates riveting tension amid the desert's harsh beauty.
There's no doubt about the Mexican-born Cuarón's sensibilities, as he elicits empathy for Garcia Bernal's Moisés and his fellow migrants and depicts Morgan's Sam as a self-loathing racist with all the symbols ("Don't Tread on Me" sticker, Confederate battle flag, etc.) to fit in at a Donald Trump rally. Those signifiers become less important as the hard-edged kill-or-be-killed story plays out to its gripping conclusion.
'Desierto'
Opens Friday, Oct. 14, at area theaters; rated R for strong violence and language; in English and Spanish with subtitles; 87 minutes.