Cert 15 Stars 4

There’s an extraordinary richness to this meandering yet moving drama which manages to combine a wholly original take on Mexican gang culture, a scathing view of globalisation, an exploration of loneliness and a lament for the diminishing cultural identity of local communities.

Juan Daniel Garcia is quietly charismatic as 17-year-old Ulises, an exuberantly styled devotee of Cumbia, a slowed down and hypnotic version of traditional Colombian music which sets the film’s pace and allows the characters to breathe.

His accidental involvement in a serious crime sees him sent away to New York for his own protection, meaning the late night community dancing he leads with an almost religious fervour at the film’s beginning is performed in very different circumstances at the films end.

The camerawork is often exquisite as it finds fresh angles on familiar situations, and provides an immersive and sometimes documentary viewing experience. If I’d seen this on the big screen I’d probably have given it the full five stars.