Slideshow
MAD BILLS TO PAY
(or DESTINY, DILE QUE NO SOY MALO)
MUST END THURSDAY, MAY 21
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JOEL ALFONSO VARGAS
19-year-old Dominican American Rico (Juan Collado) figures he’ll ride out the summer selling his homemade “nutcracker” cocktails (rum, vodka, juice) on Orchard Beach and hanging out with his friends. But after his girlfriend, Destiny (Destiny Checo), moves into his family’s already-crowded apartment, the two must face a new, adult reality. Bronx-born debut filmmaker Vargas based MAD BILLS TO PAY on his own experiences, shot the film guerilla-style in 14 days, and cites influences as disparate as John Cassavetes, Pedro Costa, and Andrea Arnold.
Presented with support from The Robert E. Appel Fund for Spanish and Portuguese Language Films and The Endowed Fund for Emerging Filmmakers
2025 103 MIN. USA IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES OSCILLOSCOPE LABORATORIES
Reviews
CRITIC’S PICK. “ENTRANCING... Grace is edged with grit from the dialogue, which was partially improvised and recalls the elastic, organic quality of John Cassavetes scripts.”
– Natalia Winkelman, The New York Times
“Rendered with unflinching naturalism, effortless humor, and bracing humanity, the debut feature from writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas—which won a special jury prize for its ensemble cast at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival… captures a New York City borough rarely framed with such tenderness and specificity.”
– Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue
“Anchored by incredible performances... a vibrant tableau of life in the tight-knit Dominican communities of the Bronx, capturing the joys and tragedies of Rico’s life with such specificity that they eventually become impossible to separate from one another.”
– Christian Zilko, IndieWire
“From the first minute until its sobering end, writer/director Joel Alfonso Vargas knows exactly what his debut film should be. MAD BILLS... is a handsomely shot and assuredly executed social-realist film whose startling profundities recall John Cassavetes’ MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ and Bob Rafelson’s FIVE EASY PIECES.”
– Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
“Exuberant, formally assured... fast paced and crackling with energy...”
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
“Working with a cast of fresh faces, Vargas, a Bronx native, mixes scripted scenes and moments of improvisation in the pursuit of authenticity.”
– Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times