Sujo

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Sujo is a 2024 coming‑of‑age crime drama written and directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez. It stars Juan Jesús Varela. The story follows Sujo, the four‑year‑old son of a cartel hitman who is raised by his aunts, Nemesia and Rosalía, in a remote mountain shack after his father’s murder. As he grows up, Sujo and his friends get drawn into drug violence. A turf war costs his friend Jeremy’s life, and Nemesia sends Sujo to Mexico City for safety.

The film world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024, where it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic section. It also screened at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.

Sujo is produced by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez along with other producers, with Alpha Violet as the production company. It was released in France on August 21, 2024 (Damned Distribution), in the United States and Canada on November 29, 2024 (The Forge), and in the United Kingdom (BEAM Films). The running time is 126 minutes, and the film is in Spanish. It is a Mexico–United States–France co‑production.

Critical response has been strong: Rotten Tomatoes reports 97% positive from 29 critics (average 7.4/10), and Metacritic gives it 80/100 based on six reviews. IndieWire graded it an A, calling it an intricate film in meaning and scope.

In September 2024, Mexico selected Sujo as its submission for the Goya Award for Best Ibero‑American Film and for the Academy Award for Best International Feature, though it did not receive nominations.