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Rotting in the Sun

Play trailer 1:53 Poster for Rotting in the Sun 2023 1h 49m Mystery & Thriller Comedy LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 56 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Writer-director Sebastián Silva's Sundance hit ROTTING IN THE SUN is a darkly funny and refreshingly audacious meta-comedy that skewers the business of filmmaking and our self-obsessed culture. While unwinding at a Mexican gay beach town, depressed director Sebastián Silva meets gregarious Instagram influencer Jordan Firstman (both playing versions of themselves), and Sebastián reluctantly agrees to collaborate on an upcoming project. But when Jordan arrives back in Mexico City, Sebastián is nowhere to be found. Jordan dances, sleeps and snorts his way through the city as he embarks on a quasi-detective journey to get to the bottom of Sebastián's disappearance.
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Rotting in the Sun

Rotting in the Sun

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Critics Consensus

Rotting in the Sun's bold ambition and infectious frenetic energy prove a natural -- albeit not universally appealing -- fit for its unique flavor of dark mischief.

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Critics Reviews

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Sergio Burstein Los Angeles Times 10/05/2023
An especially brave and original film, full of surprises and generous entertainment dues. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Christy Lemire FilmWeek (LAist) 10/04/2023
The MVP here is Catalina Saavedra... Her role and how it evolves is really the most interesting part of the movie. Go to Full Review David Jenkins Little White Lies 09/14/2023
4/5
Very sharp, and Firstman is bang-on as the social celeb who comes good. Go to Full Review Alex Heeney Seventh Row 03/22/2024
By far the funniest film of 2023, Sebastián Silva’s existential crisis movie involves phenobarbitol, a depressing (slash hilarious?) amount of aggressively in-your-face penises at a gay beach, and a lament that the best art rarely pays. Go to Full Review Alex Papaioannou InSession Film 10/30/2023
C-
Rotting in the Sun may squander its potential as a meaningful commentary on society dealing with mental health, but it doesn’t miss the mark when it comes to one of its central characters... Go to Full Review Filipe Freitas Always Good Movies 10/09/2023
2/5
What could have been a provocative satire ended up feeling excessively simulated, derailed by an uncontrolled impetus that only makes it further rigid and cold. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Michael C @Coxmjc23 01/07/2025 Beautifully made and such a great film!!! Definitely need more movies like this!!! See more Jonathan F @RT49463802 02/04/2024 Fresh, sarcastic, sexy, I really loved watching this movie, very cool script. See more Michael F @ExpatMichael 01/21/2024 Quirky, unusual doesn't take itself too seriously. See more Tawha N @RT09692876 12/29/2023 Takes some time to find its footing but ultimately a tense but funny ride when it keeps going towards the secondary half. 3/5 See more Tyler G @tylergross121 10/19/2023 More d!cks/ft^2 than any movie ever. I found the regular playing on the awkwardness of translation and class interesting. A murder mystery slow burner that drags on a bit too long and never comes to a satisfyingly conclusion. See more Beth N @BNK108 10/10/2023 Found this movie to be brilliant! Great mash up between the racy and mundane. Characters were unique, authentic, quirky, cheeky, but with glimpses of depth, including, perhaps especially, Chima the dog. Got super nervous about that characters fate adding an underlying extra layer of tension. Though the movie has a line through it and some critics prefer one side to the other, I loved both sides of the line and especially the ending. The film-makers played themselves as the main characters, balls to the wall! See more Read all reviews
Rotting in the Sun

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Cast & Crew

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Sebastian Silva

Director

Sebastián Silva

Director

Jordan Firstman

Actor

Sebastian Silva

Actor

Robert Keller

Sasha (HBO Executive)

Vitter Leíja

Victor

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Rotting in the Sun

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Rotting in the Sun

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Movie Info

Synopsis Writer-director Sebastián Silva's Sundance hit ROTTING IN THE SUN is a darkly funny and refreshingly audacious meta-comedy that skewers the business of filmmaking and our self-obsessed culture. While unwinding at a Mexican gay beach town, depressed director Sebastián Silva meets gregarious Instagram influencer Jordan Firstman (both playing versions of themselves), and Sebastián reluctantly agrees to collaborate on an upcoming project. But when Jordan arrives back in Mexico City, Sebastián is nowhere to be found. Jordan dances, sleeps and snorts his way through the city as he embarks on a quasi-detective journey to get to the bottom of Sebastián's disappearance.
Director
Sebastian Silva, Sebastián Silva
Producer
Jacob Wasserman
Screenwriter
Sebastian Silva, Pedro Peirano, Sebastián Silva
Distributor
MUBI
Production Co
Hidden Content, Spacemaker Productions, Diroriro, The Lift, Icki Eneo Arlo
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 8, 2023, Limited
Runtime
1h 49m
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