Claire Denis returns from futuristic deep space (High Life, 2018) back to present day South America during the COVID-19 Global pandemic. With the political overtones and uncertainty that fills the air, this adaptation of Denis Johnson’s The Stars at Noon tries to position itself as a romantic thriller. The central characters being thrown together by circumstance and desperation, there is less romance to be found, making the overall story feel more like a tragedy waiting to happen.
Trish, an American journalist, finds herself trapped in Nicaragua. Having written a politically fused article damning the government, her passport has been taken and she is left to fend for herself. Prostituting herself for money and the bare essentials, she meets Daniel, an English oil businessman who is not all he seems to be. Amidst an instant connection the two outsiders share, they are soon perused by the Costa Rican police and are forced to go on the run.
Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.