Motel Destino

2024 [PORTUGUESE]

Action / Drama / Thriller

5
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 78% · 32 reviews
IMDb Rating 6.5/10 10 2503 2.5K

domineering provocative intense appreciative audacious forceful

Director

Karim Aïnouz Photo
Karim Aïnouz

Top cast

Bertrand de Courville Photo
Bertrand de Courville as Maxime
Jan Moreira Photo
Jan Moreira as Ed
Edglê Lima Photo
Edglê Lima as Claudio
Jupyra Carvalho Photo
Jupyra Carvalho as Carol
720p.WEB
1.03 GB
1280*690
Portuguese 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  es  
24 fps
1 hr 55 min
Seeds 16

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Rodrigo_Amaro 8 / 10

A good and thoughtful erotic thriller

"Motel Destino" is a quiet but eventful erotic thriller with traces of a contemporary noir as it tells a story about the need to escape and all the obstacles that come with such escape. In this desperate desire for escaping one can find himself trapped in other situations, or find himself a place to stay and a destiny to be fulfilled.Our hero, the young Heraldo (Iago Xavier) finds both while using a motel in a desert area of Ceará as a hiding place, running away from a group of criminals due to his failure with a hit that end up badly to a comrade. His initial plan was to do one final crime job and move to São Paulo to find an honest job. The motel of the title is run by a couple, the middle-aged Elias (Fábio Assunção) and his wife Dayana (Nataly Rocha), him as a manager and her as a multi-task receptionist. In return for helping him, Heraldo works at the motel fixing electrical things or whatever needs fixing and cleaning. In that conjuction of loners, Elias finds on Heraldo a hard-working friend and Dayana gets a new lover in a torrid affair, hidden from her husband and also from the custumers who attend the place (barely seen, mostly heard through loud sexual moaning in the background). Love blossoms with the new couple, but Heraldo still worries about his mates on the run to find him.Karim Aïnouz' latest film is compelling but not fully; sexy and daring but with little thrills and many unexpected humor. It's almost as if taken elements of film noir (loners, problematic and violent characters) but placing inside a motel located around the amazingly beautiful beaches of Ceará - it's such beautiful sight that it's like seeing another world. There's an emotional complexity to the story, which is good but you may feel emptied out or feeling that little was gained or experienced. It's not edgy as it could be but it satisfies a little and excites a lot. Deep down is a film about the human element of hiding and how those characters deal with escaping themselves from dangerous situations, hiding from themselves and from others (as evidenced by Elias small moves on Heraldo) and ultimately each form of escape brings many unexpected results: passion, love, violence or death.Another main attractive of "Motel Destino" comes from the acting. Iago and Nataly formed an interesting and sexually charged couple with a great chemistry. Though I don't find his acting so strong and his delivery of some lines sound strange, I find him very suitable for the role.Heraldo becomes a center of attention with good reasons as there's a peculiar common man sexy appeal to him that attracts both women and men (we have a fourth worker at the hotel, played by Yuri Yamamoto, who fancies Heraldo but the script reduced him in the background with whispered lines and later one pivotal moment). For a newcomer, Iago was pretty fine in the most daring sex sequences.And then there's Fábio Assunção. What a performance, what a role! There's a whole generation who remembers him as the soap opera heartthrob of a few decades ago, and others who just followed his decline of some time ago. He doesn't make many movies, but with this one he's destined to become memorable as a film actor as well. He truly dominates the scene as Elias, a manager his 50's (but a lot fit for his age, like the actor) who is friendly but mysterious, playful and who likes to joke around (showing the sex toys to an embarassed Heraldo) yet you can sense an erratic side of him that can bring danger. Without Fábio, it would be another actor playing the cliched cheated husband role. There are layers with this character which are all fun and intriguing to see, and that makes his best role ever since the TV show "Celebridade" way back in a time when I only considered him a great presence but not a good actor. He is good here!If we were to put a moral in "Motel Destino" it'd be don't get your meat where you get your bread. But who can resist temptation and who can predict that that special someone can be found when you're not looking, and especially in a place like that? The mysterious ways of fate are always at play, but it's up with destiny as to what one decides to do; those two hardly ever match. 8/10.
Reviewed by peter0969 8 / 10

Colorful, Flavorful, and Erotic

Karim Aïnouz's direction, the camerawork, atmosphere, and strong performances create an interesting erotic thriller with blended themes of modern noir, crime, escapism, sex, and horiness.Filled with colorful production, sound designs and atmosphere, it's interesting Brazilian take on the noir genre is held pretty well with the direction and approach it took. Creating a good observation of a journey of a man who desires escape and encounters the troubles along the process of escaping. The erotic thriller elements work well with it's setting and despite the characters, while could have been a bit more stronger with connection, remain interesting since it is filled with strong performances from all over of the cast members.Despite not the grandest story, the narrative offers interesting concepts and applied with the good atmosphere, it remains vibrate, colorful, and engaging. Including a really engaging third act.As a whole, Karim Aïnouz never over welcome his stay and still always offers something unique or interesting.
Reviewed by andrewchristianjr 7 / 10

CHAOS OF YOUTH, LOVE AND SURVIVAL.

Motel Destino is a visually hypnotic and emotionally intense film that dives into the chaos of youth, love, and survival. Set in a sultry, decaying motel, it captures a sense of isolation and longing with dreamlike cinematography. The characters are fragile yet volatile, and while the plot sometimes drifts, the mood never lets go. It's not a film for everyone, but for those drawn to dark, atmospheric storytelling, it offers a raw and lingering experience.Synopsis: The neon-hued Motel Destino is a roadside sex hotel under the burning blue skies of the coast of Northern Brazil, run by the boorish Elias and his frustrated, beautiful wife Dayana. When 21 year-old Heraldo finds himself at the motel, after messing up a hit and going on the run from both the police and the gang he let down, Dayana finds herself intrigued and lets him stay. As the two navigate a dance of power, desire and liberation, a dangerous plan for freedom emerges. In this tropical noir, loyalties and desires intertwine, revealing that destiny has its own enigmatic design.
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