Carmen 2022

In Mexico, a young man searching for Carmen shoots and kills Carmen’s mother, a flamenco dancer, when she refuses to give Carmen up. Carmen, Natascha McElhone decides to flee across the border, setting off a tense journey that pulls in a wary borderland world.

Across the border in Texas, Aidan, an unemployed Marine veteran living with his sister, is persuaded to join a militia border patrol and is paired with his friend Mike. The two stumble upon a truck hiding Carmen with another woman, several children, and two men, a discovery that spirals quickly into violence. To Aidan’s horror, Mike shoots and kills the two men, and then pursues Carmen when she tries to run. Aidan steps in to shield the vulnerable group, helping the woman and children escape and ultimately killing Mike to protect Carmen. The pair escape in Mike’s car, moving from one precarious option to another as they try to stay ahead of anyone who might be pursuing them.

Their flight leads them to a motel where they overpower two police officers who have tracked them down, then hail a taxi driver named Angel who agrees to take them toward Los Angeles. On the road, they pass through a surreal carnival, a scene that foreshadows the dreamlike, disorienting imagery that threads through their escape. At the carnival, they part ways with Angel and connect with Pablo, who becomes a further, morally ambiguous waypoint in their odyssey.

Pablo propositions Carmen, but she makes it clear she prefers Aidan. Aidan reveals a surprising edge to his abilities, explaining that he understands Spanish, which adds a layer of tension and trust between them. Pablo then escorts them to a club in Los Angeles owned by Masilda, a family friend who offers shelter and a sense of temporary safety. Still, the danger feels close, and Aidan worries about police attention while Carmen struggles with the pull of home and survival in a strange city.

Masilda encourages Carmen to dance, offering a moment of beauty amid the chaos, while Aidan plots their next move. The couple begins to be haunted by visions—Carmen’s mother, a mysterious figure dressed in sequins—images that blur the line between memory and omen and that remind them of the price of their flight.

As authorities close in, Aidan tries to keep them hidden, and he reluctantly accepts that they must keep moving rather than settle. He also senses the weight of his decision to stay with Carmen instead of returning to his old life. The pair are drawn into a dangerous underground world: Aidan enters an underground bare-knuckle boxing match with a large prize pot, while Carmen completes her own responsibilities at the club and keeps faith with the bond they have formed. The police raid the fight, sending them fleeing once more in a shared, breathless panic.

The story builds to a striking, dreamlike desert sequence where the two share a dance of their own making, a moment of possible reconciliation amid their fractured circumstances. When the dust settles, Carmen walks on a quiet beach alone, leaving viewers with a striking image of distance, memory, and the uncertain path that lies ahead for both of them.