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Time Share (2018) -
Fans of The White Lotus should check out this pretty good Mexican film set at a similarly bougie resort. It follows father Pedro, mother Eva and their son Raton, whose vacation gets off on the wrong foot when a double-booking forces them to share their room with another family, and things get only less fun for them from there. Meanwhile, there's Andres, a middle-aged laundry worker who is having strange visions, and Breaking Bad's R.J. Mitte as Tom, who...let's just say is a guy who likely idolizes Alec Baldwin's character in Glengarry Glen Ross.
Having stayed at a similar resort before, I will give the movie credit for getting their vibe right, whether it's the "forced fun" of the dance at the pool, the lavish cafeteria with its contrastingly disappointing entrees and salespeople who interrupt your relaxation with additional shakedowns. In short, its not-so-favorable stance towards capitalism drips from every frame, my favorite way being how the resort's Blade Runner-like pyramid-shaped main hotel looms over everything, sometimes in unexpected ways. The performances also keep things interesting, especially the underused R.J. Mitte, whose insincerity got under my skin in the best way, and Miguel Rodarte's Andres, who makes even Milton from Office Space seem dignified. It's in the movie's mystery and thriller elements, though, where it doesn't get to the fireworks factory. In other words, they amount to a classic example of too much buildup and not enough payoff. Pedro eventually gets to vent all his frustrations, but despite his impassioned performance, it's too little, too late. To make matters worse, the conclusion is more whimper than bang. If the capitalism and social division commentary in The White Lotus keeps you coming back for more, this movie should tide you over until the next season. If it’s everything else that does it for you, a rewatch is a better use of your time.
Fans of The White Lotus should check out this pretty good Mexican film set at a similarly bougie resort. It follows father Pedro, mother Eva and their son Raton, whose vacation gets off on the wrong foot when a double-booking forces them to share their room with another family, and things get only less fun for them from there. Meanwhile, there's Andres, a middle-aged laundry worker who is having strange visions, and Breaking Bad's R.J. Mitte as Tom, who...let's just say is a guy who likely idolizes Alec Baldwin's character in Glengarry Glen Ross.
Having stayed at a similar resort before, I will give the movie credit for getting their vibe right, whether it's the "forced fun" of the dance at the pool, the lavish cafeteria with its contrastingly disappointing entrees and salespeople who interrupt your relaxation with additional shakedowns. In short, its not-so-favorable stance towards capitalism drips from every frame, my favorite way being how the resort's Blade Runner-like pyramid-shaped main hotel looms over everything, sometimes in unexpected ways. The performances also keep things interesting, especially the underused R.J. Mitte, whose insincerity got under my skin in the best way, and Miguel Rodarte's Andres, who makes even Milton from Office Space seem dignified. It's in the movie's mystery and thriller elements, though, where it doesn't get to the fireworks factory. In other words, they amount to a classic example of too much buildup and not enough payoff. Pedro eventually gets to vent all his frustrations, but despite his impassioned performance, it's too little, too late. To make matters worse, the conclusion is more whimper than bang. If the capitalism and social division commentary in The White Lotus keeps you coming back for more, this movie should tide you over until the next season. If it’s everything else that does it for you, a rewatch is a better use of your time.