28 minutes. One debt. No way out clean.
Santino, an undocumented immigrant, trapped in Los Angeles by an enterprising criminal, works as a 'handyman' at an 'anything goes' massage parlor to pay off his debt. But the decadence of the business, his unstable boss, his family left in Mexico, and an underage girl (Grace) forced into prostitution push him toward violent ends.
Acting
Muniz's silence carries an entire life of deferred rage.
Direction
Spears makes 28 minutes feel like drowning.
Director
Pokey Spears
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot entirely in East LA locations with non-union crew, including actual day laborers as background—Spears wanted the texture of precarious work to bleed into every frame.
The title references 1 John 4:18, but the film inverts it—here, perfect fear casts out love, and Santino's 'grace' arrives too late to save anyone.
US
