Sundown 2016

Logan is a high school senior with a big dream: to become a disc jockey. His ambitions clash with his parents’ serious expectations that he attend a prestigious college, a tension that threads through his everyday life. When his friend Blake pushes him to chase a chance with a girl named Lina who talks about a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Logan’s longing for a thrill pushes him into impulsive territory. A reckless joyride in his dad’s Porsche earns him a grounding and a simple, nagging mission: pick up his grandfather’s Rolex from his parents’ room before they sail away on a cruise.

Without permission and on a dare, Logan secretly hops a flight to Mexico with Blake, where their luck begins to tilt from bad to surreal. They hook up with Chuy, a streetwise cab driver who becomes their ally and offers shelter when a hotel reservation falls through and leaves them stranded. The nights glow with club lights and bass, and Logan, chasing a moment with a drunken Lina, ends up kissing her as she coughs up her night’s tension—an awkward, imperfect spark that foreshadows the trouble ahead. When Chuy comes to the rescue, the trio crosses paths with Gaby, a Mexican girl who shares Logan’s ear for music and hands over a USB drive labeled “DJ Phantom” to the club’s DJ, essentially marking Logan as someone to watch. Meanwhile, Blake contentedly pairs off with Mona, a girl whose appearance in a wet T-shirt contest complicates things, while Logan spends a tense evening with Jessica, sharing a room with her after a night that promises more than it delivers.

The morning after reveals new and sharper lines. Gaby wakes and leaves, requesting $300 for her night, and Logan discovers his Rolex is missing. A hard turn occurs when Chuy drives them to a strip club where Gaby is dancing. She tells them the watch is with her manager, Dorian, who demands a staggering $5,000 within 24 hours. Gaby, realizing the gravity of the situation, turns sympathetic and agrees to help, and Chuy’s own disdain for Dorian hardens their resolve. The plan to make quick money goes awry in the most unpredictable way: they turn to gambling on cockfights, which proves surprisingly profitable and nets them the $5,000 they need. Yet the price of the win is a moral one—Gaby reveals herself to be Jessica, an orphan who adopted the alias to take care of her ailing grandfather, and she admits to having used Rohypnol on clients, including Logan, a confession that tugs at every thread of trust between them.

The next day’s trip takes them to a boat-bound meet with Dorian on an island—but the reunion is a trap. The trio is drugged and wakes to find themselves in a stolen car, naked and dumped near a police station. They escape with the law hot on their heels, but the narrow margins of safety widen into fracture as Logan and Blake clash—Logan calling Blake selfish, Blake calling Logan spineless. They return defeated to the hotel, only to see a stubborn path forward emerge in the form of a daring plan: steal Dorian’s dog and use the animal as a bargaining chip to recover the Rolex. The plan gains momentum when Chuy arrives with backup in the form of his “cousins,” pressuring Dorian to concede. Yet the price of Jessica’s freedom remains high, and Logan chooses to offer his Rolex in exchange for her release. With the clock ticking, he hands over the $5,000 to Chuy and his cousins and turns his attention back to the music, proving his mettle as a performer by finally drawing the club crowd’s attention with a steady, confident blend.

In a bittersweet culmination, Logan turns away from Lina, encouraging her to pursue Blake, while Jessica’s longing to reconnect remains the quiet center of the story. Jessica persuades the club’s DJ to let Logan perform, and though nerves threaten a stumble, he steadies himself and wins the room with his mix. As the night winds down, Jessica slips away in tears, leaving Logan to fly back to the United States, heart heavy but determined.

Back home, Logan’s parents return, and a frank conversation about the missing Rolex shakes out a surprising truth: the watch Logan thought he’d lost belonged to a replacement after the original had disappeared years earlier. The revelation reframes Logan’s decisions and leads to a pivotal choice: he asks for a year off to chase his passion for music, a decision his father ultimately accepts, recognizing a rare moment of clarity in his son’s future.

The story closes with a glimmer of reunion. While working behind a Mexico City club’s bar, Jessica hears the name “DJ Phantom” announced again and follows the sound to a familiar face. There, she finds Logan, and the two share a quiet, hopeful moment on the dance floor, reconnecting as the music carries them forward.