Heroic (Spanish: Heroico) is a 2023 drama film written, directed and produced by David Zonana. An international co-production of Mexico and Sweden, it stars Santiago Sandoval Carbajal.

Heroic
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Zonana
Written byDavid Zonana
Produced by
StarringSantiago Sandoval Carbajal
CinematographyCarolina Costa
Production
companies
Distributed byWild Bunch
Release date
  • 21 January 2023 (2023-01-21) (Sundance)
Running time
88 minutes
Countries
  • Mexico
  • Sweden
Languages
Box office$1,7 million[1]

The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 2023.[2]

Premise

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Luis, an Indigenous 18-year-old boy, encounters an institutionally violent system inside the Heroic Military College, which he enters in hope of a better future.

Cast

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  • Santiago Sandoval Carbajal as Luis
  • Esteban Caicedo
  • Fernando Cuautle
  • Mónica del Carmen
  • Carlos Gerardo García
  • Isabel Yudice

Release

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Heroic had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 2023.[2] It was also screened in the Panorama section at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023.[3] The film was awarded the Havana Star Prize for Best Film at the 24th Havana Film Festival New York in April 2024.[4]

Prior to its release, Wild Bunch acquired its distribution rights.[5]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 13 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.4/10.[6]

Erin Brady from /Film wrote: "Heroic is likely a movie that won't work for everyone, as a few intentionally horrifying moments of casual brutality will have viewers squirming. However, by utilizing the camera as an intensely rigid weapon, the film drives home its intentions in a way that's neither overbearing nor vague. It is a powerful example of the power of visual storytelling, of allowing the technical aspects of movies to tell a painful story in a way mere words cannot."[7] Meanwhile, Jordan Mintzer from The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "There are no real surprises in Heroic, which sets its course to hell in the opening scene and follows a straight path there for the next 90 minutes. We learn little about Luis beyond the fact that his dad, who abandoned the family, was a soldier as well, or that his mother’s cancer is the only reason he entered the academy."[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Heroic". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  2. ^ a b Goodfellow, Melanie (17 January 2023). "'Heroic' Clip: David Zonana's Sundance Drama Explores Culture Of Violence In Mexico Through Tale Of Indigenous Conscript". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  3. ^ Koziol, Leo (22 February 2023). "Broken Men: David Zonana's Heroic marches from Sundance to the Berlinale". Letterboxd. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Mexico's HEROIC Wins Top Prize for Best Film at the Havana Film Festival New York". Cinema Tropical. 2024-04-23. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  5. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (8 February 2023). "Wild Bunch International goes full steam ahead towards Berlin". Cineuropa. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Heroic". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  7. ^ Brady, Erin (2023-01-20). "Heroic Review: A Visually Striking Drama Examining The Horrors Of Military School [Sundance]". /Film. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  8. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (2023-01-21). "'Heroic' Review: A Stark and Unsettling Drama Exploring Abuse in the Mexican Military". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
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