Problemista 2024

In the opening scenes set against the vibrant backdrop of El Salvador, we meet young Alejandro Martinez (Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel), who is lovingly cared for by his mother Dolores (Catalina Saavedra). A talented artist, Dolores encourages her son’s blossoming creativity, while also grappling with anxieties about his future. This is beautifully illustrated when Alejandro, dressed in blue, courageously confronts a menacing creature with glowing red eyes inside a cave, as narrated by Isabella Rossellini (Isabella Rossellini).

Fast forward to the present, where Alejandro is now living in Bushwick, sharing an apartment with friends and pursuing his dream of becoming a toy designer at Hasbro. Although his roommate Spray (Spike Einbinder) offers various social outings, Alejandro remains steadfastly focused on his career aspirations. His inventive toy ideas include a Barbie doll with hidden crossed fingers, smartphone-enabled Cabbage Patch kids displaying unique messages, a Slinky that finds it difficult to descend steps, and a toy car that frequently suffers from flat tires. To his dismay, his application to Hasbro is ultimately rejected.

After this setback, Alejandro secures a job as an archivist at FreezeCorp, where he is tasked with looking after the cryogenically preserved artist, Bobby Asencio (RZA), who fell ill with cancer in the 1990s just before he was set to unveil an acclaimed exhibition of his egg-centered art. Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), Bobby’s strong-willed wife, visits frequently to check on her husband, and encounters Alejandro while he tends to Bobby’s preservation chamber.

On Alejandro’s first day at FreezeCorp, an unfortunate accident occurs when he accidentally disconnects a blue cable from Bobby’s chamber. His supervisor catches wind of this mistake and alerts Sharon (Kelly McCormack), the manager, leading to Alejandro’s unexpected dismissal despite there being no real harm done. Following a heated exchange with Sharon regarding access to Bobby’s pod, Elizabeth meets Alejandro again and suggests he help her organize Bobby’s collection of 13 egg-themed artworks for an exhibition, promising to assist him with his residency issues. Alejandro consults with his immigration advisor, Mr. Khalil (Laith Nakli), who informs him that he cannot receive any pay from Elizabeth until her sponsorship becomes official, giving him a pressing 30-day deadline to avoid deportation.

Entrusted by Elizabeth, Alejandro must utilize the software FileMaster Pro to catalog Bobby’s art but feels too embarrassed to admit he has no experience with it. He also takes on odd jobs discovered on Craigslist, presented by a quirky character (Larry Owens). In an unexpected twist, he begins to rent his room to a struggling actor named Travis (Theo Maltz).

Things get more complicated when Alejandro learns that Elizabeth has engaged another assistant, Bingham (James Scully), who is wealthy and seeking to leap forward in his own art career. Despite Bingham’s negative remarks about Elizabeth, who he derogatorily calls a “monster,” Alejandro doesn’t share these thoughts.

As tension mounts, Elizabeth discovers a crucial painting by Bobby, “Blue Egg on Yellow Satin,” is missing from their collection, currently held by Dalia Park (Greta Lee), a former student and Bobby’s past lover. Their tumultuous history involves Elizabeth’s harsh past critiques that damaged Dalia’s credibility, prompting a visit to Dalia’s place with a heartfelt letter of apology, painstakingly crafted by Alejandro. Touched, Dalia agrees to return the painting.

In another significant moment with Khalil, Alejandro aids a Spanish-speaking woman to send her documents to the office, as she cannot deliver them herself. Khalil, impressed with Alejandro’s helpfulness, offers him a paralegal position, which could assist him in securing his visa.

Nevertheless, Alejandro encounters obstacles as he struggles to expedite shipment of the paintings due to an overdraft exceeding $400. In a metaphorical representation of his despair, Alejandro is shown trapped under the weight of rocks during a futile call with a bank representative. Back at home, Alejandro learns that Hasbro is actually launching the very Cabbage Patch Kids he had once pitched, but when he attempts to reach out to the company, he is met with silence.

In dire need of money, Alejandro reluctantly accepts a bizarre Craigslist job that he had been avoiding—cleaning in the nude for a client with unusual tastes. Following an awkward encounter, he is compensated for the job.

Afterward, a furious Elizabeth reaches out to Alejandro, frustrated that Bobby’s archives remain unsorted in FileMaster. She announces that Bingham will take over the task. However, luck seems to smile upon Alejandro as he receives an unexpected call from a Roosevelt Island art gallery, inviting him to stage a last-minute solo exhibition of Bobby’s work. Although Elizabeth’s first reaction is to dismiss the modest gallery’s prestige, Alejandro reminds her of her notorious reputation as “The Hydra” in the art world, suggesting that fixing one issue only leads to new ones. Eventually, he persuades her to agree to the exhibition.

The next day, while transporting Bobby’s artwork via tram to the gallery, chaos erupts when they realize the “Blue Egg on Yellow Satin” was left behind at the station. Elizabeth’s frustrations force the tram operator to make an impromptu return so they can retrieve it. Upon reaching the gallery, both Alejandro and Elizabeth are disappointed to see that the exhibition space cannot accommodate all of Bobby’s thirteen artworks. Using his quick thinking, Alejandro negotiates to position the extra works elsewhere, ensuring the essence of Bobby’s exhibition remains intact. With the paintings successfully sold, a personal moment of connection emerges between Elizabeth and Alejandro, during which she openly shares her anxieties regarding her relationship with Bobby after he’s revived.

Shortly thereafter, Alejandro reaches out to Dolores, buoyant about possibly securing a sponsor for his residency. However, soon after, he receives an extensive voicemail from Elizabeth, in which she reveals her intent to undergo cryogenic freezing to be rejoined with Bobby in the future. She concludes her message urging Alejandro to reach out to an employee at Hasbro concerning the appropriation of his toy idea and to assert his rights. The sense of urgency is underscored by an hourglass bearing Alejandro’s name rapidly depleting.

In a bold move, Alejandro confronts Brian Kissane (Miles G. Jackson) at Hasbro, the executive behind the approval of the smartphone-equipped Cabbage Patch Kids. He threatens to reveal proof that the idea originated from him unless Brian offers him a job, sponsorship, and recognition. Cornered, Brian reluctantly agrees. Bursting with joy, Alejandro and Dolores team up to develop new toy concepts.

The narrative propels us forward in time by more than three centuries, where FreezeCorp is staging a revival ceremony for all those previously cryogenically preserved. Elizabeth appears temperamental, while Bobby displays reluctance towards their new existence. During the ceremony, Elizabeth complains to the bartender about being interrupted before the conclusion of opening remarks until an aged Alejandro (Carlos Navedo), who has also recently been revived, spots her and begins to approach. Recognized as the creator of the popular toy line “My Little Problems,” Alejandro soon finds himself at the center of another chaos when Elizabeth berates him over the disarray of databases. However, he reassures her that he has mastered FileMaster, and everything is now in perfect order. Taken aback, Elizabeth gazes at her longtime acquaintance as the narrator highlights Alejandro’s remarkable journey, illustrating that he indeed faced the world boldly, dressed in blue, confronting metaphorical monsters with undaunted spirit.