I'm No Longer Here

After a bloody wrong-place/wrong-time run-in with the local cartel, a young king of his local music scene is forced to flee Mexico for America. Penniless, alone, illegal, and unable to even speak the language, he must leave behind not only his family, his friends, and the culture he loves so much, but his very identity.

Set in the 2010s in Monterrey, Mexico, I’m No Longer Here is the story of a young man named Ulises Sampiero. Ulises is the undisputed leader of a group of friends who call themselves Los Terkos. They spend their days hanging out, singing and dancing, obsessed with a local music scene that is all about slowed-down cumbias. They take every chance to revel in it too, the slow dances, spinning, preening and strutting in the dusty streets in their bold hairstyles and their bright and baggy clothing. Ulises’ distinctive style has made him some what famous too, both in the scene and on the internet. He’s a king of his world.

But all of that comes to an end when a hail of bullets forces him to flee, cutting him off from everything he’s ever known and loved, forcing him to not only ask who he is without the music scene, but also to discover who he will become next. It is a story about being adrift after the severing of deep connections, of the trauma that comes with the sudden loss of your sense of self, and the painful evolution that comes with the end of much-loved era of your youth. It’s a story about growing up, and how, no matter what, eventually, you can never truly go home again.

It’s a gorgeous film, using a cast of talented non-actors that not only carry the emotional depth of the story with an impressive subtlety, but bring with them a really strong sense of authenticity. This helps the film overall, as the story does tend to meander a bit, and definitely takes its time, but not so much that it can’t be forgiven for occasionally tarrying too long in the well constructed world it’s built, especially when it’s used to highlight how untethered Ulises becomes.

This played at TIFF in 2020, and it was also Mexico’s entry in the 2021 Oscars for Best Foreign. It got shortlisted, but ultimately didn’t get a nomination. It’s definitely worth checking out. You can find it on Netflix.