Writer/director Joel Alfonso Vargas’ debut Mad Bills To Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) is an altogether more gentle viewing experience than its action-packed title suggests. This amiable, down-to-earth take on a young New Yorker’s struggles to find a role for himself has its flaws, but they can be forgiven on account of Rico (Juan Collado), its shambolic, supremely chill and ever-present protagonist. This, plus Vargas’s intimate, insider take on his Dominican American community and some interesting visuals add up to a minor-key but winning drama.

The atmospherics of a range of Bronx settings are beautifully rendered

The feature is an extension of Bronx-born Vargas’s 2023 short May It Go Beautifully For You, Rico, which played in Locarno, winning him a directing award. Featuring the same characters, cast and locations, Mad Bills To Pay will visit the Berlinale’s new Perspectives section after its Sundance premiere, and should go down well with audiences at both.

Nineteen-year-old slacker Rico (Juan Collado) leads a pretty aimless life, smoking weed, selling home-made juice and liquor cocktails called Nutcrackers on Orchard Beach in The Bronx, and hanging out with friends. His mother Andrea (Yohanna Florentino) and sister Sally (Nathaly Navarro) both consider Rico to be basically useless and are not shy about telling him so, but despite the ear-splitting shouting matches that pepper the film, their home is also a place for tenderness and celebration.