Discover the intricate layers of ‘Barrio Triste,’ a found-footage crime film that challenges traditional storytelling and immerses viewers in a haunting narrative.
‘Barrio Triste’ Review: A Unique Found-Footage Crime Experience
Harmony Korine‘s digital IP-focused tech and filmmaking studio EDGLRD has produced two features to date, both directed by Korine: the infrared techno dance party “Aggro Dr1ft” and the first-person shooter “Baby Invasion.” These films oscillate between being interminably boring and sickeningly compelling, presenting voyeuristic video games disguised as movies. In this context, viewers find themselves captivated by Korine’s anti-audience vision.
Stillz’s Debut with ‘Barrio Triste’
Colombian-American photographer Stillz makes his foray into filmmaking with “Barrio Triste,” following a long collaboration with Puerto Rican rap star Bad Bunny. This project is the most narrative-driven yet from EDGLRD, premiering in the Venice Horizons section for cutting-edge filmmakers before heading to TIFF. However, “Barrio Triste” feels more like a video art installation than a film that demands attention in theaters. It resembles a quasi-found-footage horror movie set in 1980s Medellín, where crime and possible extraterrestrial beings terrorize the city—ideal for a museum sidebar rather than a mainstream audience.
A Hypnotic Experience
Told in a frantic style, “Barrio Triste” navigates through lawless Colombian streets, accompanied by an alternatingly serene and jarring score by Barcelona-based electronic musician Arca. The film is hypnotic, akin to a trance that might lull viewers to sleep.
Cinematography and Narrative Structure
Stillz handles his own cinematography and writing, employing lo-fi video reminiscent of found-footage horror films. The pixelated quality raises questions about whether it’s a post-production trick or an intentional choice. The 1980s setting draws from Stillz’s Colombian background, tapping into memories and stories of the city.
Plot Overview
The film opens with a newscaster reporting on extraterrestrial lights falling from the sky in Medellín. Shortly after, a group of teenage thieves attacks him, stealing his crew’s camera for their next heist. A tense jewelry store robbery, underscored by Arca’s increasingly ominous score, is depicted with vivid realism. However, viewers may wish for a steadier camera or more experienced cinematographers.
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Visual Sensibility and Themes
The erosion of sophisticated visual sensibility is intentional in Stillz’s debut, making it the most narrative-driven of EDGLRD’s projects, despite its largely plotless nature. A late scene features a cameraman scaling graffiti-covered corridors of a slummy apartment building, reminiscent of “The Blair Witch Project,” but the payoff is less chilling.
Conclusion
“Barrio Triste” embodies beauty in its ugliness, yet it feels like a half-finished sentence—an idea that doesn’t fully bloom. While more may come, Stillz’s film doesn’t quite justify the wait.
Grade: C
“Barrio Triste” premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival and is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
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