Barrio Triste

Play trailer

1:54

Barrio Triste

Jul 2026

1h 24m

Drama

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In an impoverished neighborhood of 1980s Medellín, a group of disaffected teens steals a TV reporter's camera to document their lives. Piercing the derelict landscape's oppressive atmosphere with disarming reflections on dreams and death, their understanding of reality and hope begins to erode as reports of mysterious lights falling from the sky coincide with temporal and spatial distortions.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Blending raw visual experimentation with disaffected melancholy, Barrio Triste creates a hypnotic atmosphere whose visceral power occasionally struggles to make up for its lack of narrative direction.

Read Critics Reviews

Katherine McLaughlin

Little White Lies

Sep 16, 2026

5/5

It blends the intensity of The Blair Witch Project with the punk spirit of Repo Man while crafting a haunting requiem that possesses a similar mesmerising quality to Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void.

Go to Full Review

Phuong Le

Guardian

Sep 14, 2026

3/5

There are moments of crisis here and there, yet the primary focus seems to be on vibes rather than plot. The ever-roving camera not only channels the agitated psyche of the main characters but also drums up the chaotic pace of Medellín’s underbelly.

Go to Full Review

Sergio Burstein

Los Angeles Times

Aug 6, 2026

It is, in any case, a necessary viewing for those interested in that kind of Latin American cinema that takes on both a marginal theme and an experimental tone. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Steve Erickson

Arts Fuse

Oct 9, 2026

Treating poverty as a mood as much as a reality poses enormous dangers, but Barrio Triste never feels as though it were made by a slumming social worker.

Go to Full Review

André Didyme-Dôme

Rolling Stone en Español

Aug 14, 2026

The provocation that in Gummo sought to penetrate a forgotten reality becomes here a trademark. Poverty is texture; violence, a sensory overload; abandoned adolescence, a visual commodity for export. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Anna Hoang

Boston Hassle

Aug 4, 2026

The hypothesis that depravity takes over the place of innocence rings through from Korine’s universe to Barrio’s streets...and Vásquez is a great contender to carry that torch.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Anthony F

@BokehMonster Sep 24, 2026

Thoroughly enjoyed this experimental film. The premise of Colombian teen hoodlums stealing a news camera and filming POV shorts of their bleak lives in the 'barrio' quickly falls away to some heavy handed but beautiful scene work with young Columbian actors who give very raw performances in increasingly surreal circumstances. The original score by Arca is exceptional and ads a lot to what might otherwise be criticized as a string of cinematic tropes. Fairly succinct at 80ish minutes, worth a watch and an eye out for Stillz, Arca, and some of the younger talent's next work.

See more

Kitten C

@KittenCalfee Aug 25, 2026

A few strong scenes does not a movie make. This film centers poverty almost like a character but forgot to construct a coherent narrative.

See more

Adrianna M

@RT30809192 Aug 16, 2026

Absolutely brilliant, great soundtrack, great acting, amazing atmosphere. Arca’s score is just brilliant.

See more

Gabriel E

@RT17671154 Aug 13, 2026

Una buena premisa con una historia vaga

See more

Steven L

@lump-of-coal Aug 8, 2026

Hauntingly realistic with vivid imagery. The story of the barrio and the youth trapped in their world being lost both physically and spiritually. The cinegraphic lends a chaotic realism that is gripping as you travel through the barrio. While some scenes languished a bit, I felt the poignancy of the environment and the despair and loneliness of these youths. Overall, while not a blockbuster, Barrio Triste is a movie you and your significant other will talk about on your way home.

See more

Lucciano T

@RT94045928 Jul 27, 2026

Como colombiano, la película hace un buen trabajo en mostrar el entorno de los barrios de muy bajos recursos en Medellin. Es re triste de principio a fin (como el título de la película sugiere). También las actuaciones (sobretodo de Brahian Acevedo) son increíbles. Personalmente, la banda sonora es lo mejor de este filme. Yo sabía que Arca NO decepcionaría. Desafortunadamente, la película se enfrasca en plasmar artísticamente lo triste y desolado que se ve el barrio de los personajes. Los pocos personajes jamás se desarrollan, si acaso conocemos un poquito de Caneco (Brahian). De verdad que en cierto punto deseaba que se acabaran los clips que mostraban el barrio o donde el "monstruo" estaba para saber más de qué pensaba Caneco acerca de X cosa. Este film es estéticamente vacío, y me fuerza a sobreanalizarlo para hallar significado a cada uno de los clips que esta muestra, lo cual es cansino. Ojalá el siguiente proyecto de Stillz contenga un mejor guionista y director de screenplay.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Matías Vásquez

Director

Brahian Acevedo

Actor

Juan Pablo Baena

Actor

Jorge Cano

Actor

Joan Casas

Actor

Samuel Andres Celis

Actor

The Life of Chuck

80%

88%

The Life of Chuck

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Life of Chuck

With Love and a Major Organ

88%

%

With Love and a Major Organ

Watchlist

Donnie Darko

89%

80%

Donnie Darko

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Donnie Darko

Killers of the Flower Moon

93%

84%

Killers of the Flower Moon

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Killers of the Flower Moon

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions

100%

%

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Barrio Triste: Trailer 1

1:54

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In an impoverished neighborhood of 1980s Medellín, a group of disaffected teens steals a TV reporter's camera to document their lives. Piercing the derelict landscape's oppressive atmosphere with disarming reflections on dreams and death, their understanding of reality and hope begins to erode as reports of mysterious lights falling from the sky coincide with temporal and spatial distortions.

Director: Matías Vásquez
Producer: James Clauer, Eric Kohn, Esteban Zuluaga
Screenwriter: Matías Vásquez
Distributor: Film Movement
Production Co: EDGLRD, WeOwntheCity
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 9, 2026
Runtime: 1h 24m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings