Undertow(Contracorriente)

Empire by

A languid, quietly moving love triangle.

NPR by Bob Mondello

Undertow, for all its narrative tricks, has been given the rhythm and texture of real life, as well as emotional undercurrents that are haunting.

San Francisco Chronicle by David Wiegand

This small film's accomplishments are many, but not the least is its ability to take a human story and frame it as a parable, without losing a bit of credibility or irresistible heart.

Time Out by Eric Hynes

Undertow's three impassioned lead performances and Fuentes-León's honest engagement with thorny matters of identity, sexuality and community still make it an easy movie to get swept up by.

Village Voice by Ernest Hardy

Undertow, is sublime. Set in a small, picturesque Peruvian fishing village, it's less a coming-out tale than a magic realism–infused coming-of-consciousness love story.

New York Daily News by Joe Neumaier

Without excessive emotion or drama, director Javier Fuentes-León's film - and Mercado's performance - gently captures the power of emotions whose silent rattle is even stronger than reality.

Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas

In a confident yet relaxed feature debut, Fuentes-León has created a wholly unified work of art.

The New York Times by Manohla Dargis

A small movie with a full heart, Undertow takes an old idea - the loving, lingering ghost - and gives it reverberant, resuscitated life.

Boxoffice Magazine by Pam Grady

Sensual and romantic with a heavy dose of the supernatural and populated by indelible characters.