Grammy winner René Pérez Joglar (aka Residente) delivers a compelling, layered performance as Vicente, a divorced dad who comes to terms with his mistakes and tries to make amends in In the Summers. Vicente’s tortuous journey begins with an optimistic hopefulness about his relationship with his two daughters and takes a dark turn as he slips into the clutches of addiction, eventually evolving into a redemption tale as he confronts his failures and seeks to become a better man.
First-time feature filmmaker Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio teases the trouble to come in part one of the four-part story. Vicente’s all smiles as he picks up his young daughters at the airport, ready to show them a good time over their summer vacation. He lives in the tidy home his mother left him in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and treats the girls to fun days in the sun by the pristine backyard pool. Days pass by with water balloon fights, visits to an amusement park, and cooking lessons.
During a visit to his favorite neighborhood bar, Vicente shows the first sign of having a real problem with alcohol. Despite the fact his young daughters depend on him, he can’t resist drinking while teaching them how to play pool. Later, they spend the night stargazing, and Vicente has a constant supply of beer at his side. His driving is noticeably impaired on the way home, but he treats it like a game. His oldest daughter, Violeta, is shocked and freaks out, while his youngest daughter, Eva, still believes that her dad can do no wrong.
Vicente’s inability to place his daughters above his addictions is on full display in part two. Violeta and Eva arrive from California, older and more disillusioned with their father. Vicente can’t hide his discomfort at the responsibility of caring for his kids and, for the most part, shirks his duties as a caregiver.
By part three, Vicente has descended into the depths of addiction, and his already tenuous relationship with his daughters is on the verge of being severed for good. Part four marks Vicente’s emergence from the throes of addiction as his daughters, now independent young women, arrive for their annual visit. The traumas all three have endured (Vicente’s being self-inflicted) cannot be forgotten or minimized. However, the question is whether they can move forward in a way that allows healing to begin in earnest.
Watching this father ruin his relationship with his daughters is alternately heartbreaking and infuriating. But writer/director Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio doesn’t ask audiences to judge Vicente and instead seeks to show that his quest for redemption, though a long time coming, is possible as long as it’s genuine.
Lacorazza Samudio does a terrific job of setting up the relationship between Vicente and his girls in part one, followed by the destruction of that relationship as Vicente plunges deeper into his addiction in parts two and three. By the time part four arrives, 20 years have passed since the family began their summertime visits. During those years, Vicente loses himself to substance abuse, and his self-loathing for his own cowardice and weakness is clear in the way he interacts with his daughters. It’s also clear in the appearance of his backyard pool.
In the Summers might be the only film in history that uses the condition of a backyard swimming pool to reflect not just the passage of time but the lead character’s mental state. Vicente’s arc is reflected in the pool’s upkeep, going from sparkling, clean, and inviting to filthy and neglected. When Vicente finally faces up to his demons, the pool is emptied of trash and becomes a safe harbor for Eva and Violeta’s new stepsister.
René Pérez Joglar anchors the film as Vicente, but the entire ensemble masterfully handle the complex characters filmmaker Lacorazza has created. Eva and Violeta are played by Luciana Elisa Quinonez and Dreya Castillo as children, by Allison Salinas and Kimaya Thais as adolescents, and by Sasha Calle and Lio Mehiel as adults. The foundation established by Quinonez and Castillo is built upon and expanded with the actors who follow, with Calle and Mehiel completing Vicente’s daughters’ growth into mature, intelligent adults who have not only survived but thrived.
In the Summers took home the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Dramatic Competition and the Directing Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Both awards were well-deserved, and Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio – who was inspired by her experiences with her father and sister – establishes herself as a filmmaker to watch with this auspicious debut.
GRADE: A
Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
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In the Summers premiered as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
