Sundance 2020: Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia, La Leyenda Negra, Beast Beast, I Carry You With Me |

Set on a much smaller scale in Los Angeles, Patricia Vidal Delgado’s black-and-white “La Leyenda Negra” features none of the showy and sparkly hues of its Miami neighbor. Instead, the subdued coming-of-age drama focuses on one teenager, Aleteia (Monica Betancourt), who struggles to fit in as a transfer student with many of the other popular girls because she’s political, nonconformist and doesn’t follow their beauty standards. Luckily, Rosarito (Kailei Lopez) connects with Aleteia as a friend—and first crush—and the two must learn to deal with the fallout of changing immigration laws that could derail Aleteia’s future. 

Certain scenes may seem a bit too unpolished because of the young actors, other times the camera can look quite shaky or some plot points are harder to believe than others. Yet, there’s a shaggy energy throughout that gives the movie a sense of urgency over current issues facing Salvadorian immigrants like Aleteia, now that TPS (Temporary Protective Status) is in danger of getting cut. The film bottles Aleteia’s anger against those who make fun of her in-person and those who threaten her way of life in an artfully composed way that doesn’t detract from her palpable emotions. 

Written and directed by Danny Madden, “Beast Beast” is a wild card movie in the NEXT deck that will either win you over with Shirley Chen’s effervescent screen presence or will doom its goodwill with its third act twist. Krista (Chen) is a lively theater kid who catches the eye of soft-spoken skateboarder Nito (Jose Angeles). The two start an adorable high school romance before their paths cross with an aspiring YouTube personality and gun fanatic, Adam (Will Madden), with unintended consequences. Through these different stories, three different movies play out as each character is off living their own lives. I’m not sure Madden knew what note to end the movie on, as "Beast Beast" tries to tackle youth culture, gun violence and social media addiction all at once. It’s a conflicted work, but not without its merits, especially when it comes to Chen’s performance. 

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