Chicuarotes 2019

Two teenagers, Cagalera and Moloteco, live in San Gregorio Atlapulco, a poor neighborhood in Mexico City, and they dream of a better life as they try different paths to escape poverty.

They first appear dressed as clowns on a city bus, cracking jokes and trying to earn money. When the passengers don’t pay, they pull a gun to force them, setting a dangerous tone for what’s to come.

[Cagalera] lives with his mother, younger sister, and a gay brother. His mother is in a relationship with Baturro, an abusive drunk who dominates the household. He longs to leave the town with his girlfriend, Sugehili, who works as a hairdresser and seems to represent a doorway to a different life.

[Cagalera] convinces [Moloteco] to help with a robbery plan organized by Planchado, a local hustler. They target a lingerie shop owned by Planchado’s girlfriend, but find no money there and leave with only some lingerie. While escaping in a car, they’re spotted by two female police officers who recognize Planchado; the officers arrest him while letting the two boys go.

The stakes rise when the pair decide to kidnap the young son of the local butcher, hoping to secure ransom money that could change their futures. The entire town scrambles to find the kidnappers, including Chillamil, Chillamil, a feared ex-convict recently released from prison who is closely tied to the butcher.

Their plan spirals out of control when Sugehili finds Moloteco alone with the boy and convinces him to release the child, promising the boy secrecy about who kidnapped him. The boys plan a hasty escape and even attempt to steal money that Baturro has stored at Cagalera’s home, but Baturro catches them and beats Cagalera.

The butcher remains relentless in his search for the culprits, and in front of an angry crowd, he asks his son to identify the kidnappers. The boy points toward the hills, insinuating that the truth lies with someone from another pueblo. A mob forms, intent on violent retribution, while the story reveals the depths of fear and rage in the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Cagalera’s mother kills Baturro by spiking his drink, a brutal act that intensifies the town’s thirst for justice. The mob heads into the hills, where Chillamil pulls the group onto a rooftop, gun drawn, accusing them of the crime. He forces Cagalera and Moloteco to hold Sugehili down so he can rape her. A distraction from Cagalera’s brother erupts into chaos, and the confrontation ends with Chillamil being shot; before dying, he fires again, fatally wounding Moloteco.

Cagalera and Sugehili seize the moment to flee, planning to start anew somewhere far away—Mazatlán, Acapulco, Tijuana, or even Las Vegas. Yet in the end, Sugehili steps away from Cagalera, leaving him and their shared dream behind, moving forward in silence.