Lucio Castro makes a favorable first impression weaving a dream tapestry that, while not always 100% lucid in terms of narrative, nevertheless leaves a hypnotic, stylish imprint on the viewer throughout. Ocho (Juan Barberini) is a poet who makes a living writing ad copy for an airline. For 13 dialogue-free minutes we follow him through the day-to-day course of his vacation — eating, looking for love from his balcony, drinking, spontaneously masturbating — at the German Airbnb he temporarily calls home. Summoning the nerve to invite passerby Javi (Ramon Pujol) to come up and see him, the two realize that they hooked up 20 years in the past. Castro then proceeds to take us in and out of time frames, with both actors assuming their characters throughout. Don’t try to make sense of it all; that task is reserved for Castro’s psychiatrist. And in light of all the silent desperation on display, the inclusion of two softcore sex scenes felt redundant. If more of the same is not your bag, here’s a puzzling experiment worthy of your support. (2019) — Scott Marks
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