‘Motel Destino’ Trailer: Karim Aïnouz’s Neon Laced Brazilian Erotic Thriller Screening Next Month

Acclaimed filmmaker Karim Aïnouz (“The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão,” “Firebrand”) made a grand return to the Cannes Film Festival last year with his erotic drama “Motel Destino,” which has been picked up by Strand Releasing as they’ve dropped a new trailer ahead of the August 29 launch of screenings at NYC’s IFC Center.

“Motel Destino” features a lead cast that consists of Iago Xavier as Heraldo, Nataly Rocha as Dayana, and Fábio Assunção as Elias, as the dramatic story takes place at a coastal roadside sex hotel in Brazil (shot entirely on location in the scenic area of Ceará, where Aïnouz hails from).

READ MORE: 12 Films To See In July: ‘Superman,’ ‘Eddington,’ ‘Fantastic Four & More

An official logline for the sexy flick provided by Strand Releasing:

The neon-hued Motel Destino, a roadside sex hotel steaming under the burning blue skies of the northeastern coast of Brazil, is run by hot-headed Elias and his restless younger wife Dayana. The unexpected arrival of 21-year-old Heraldo, on the run after a botched hit, disrupts the established order. As the tropical noir plays out, loyalties and desires intertwine to reveal that destiny has its own enigmatic design.

Written by Wislan Esmeraldo, it also had contributions from Aïnouz and Mauricio Zacharias.

The folks behind the French-Brazilian erotic thriller are Cinema Inflamável and Gullane in co-production with Globo Filmes, Telecine, and Canal Brasil, and co-produced internationally by Maneki Films and The Match Factory.

Support independent movie journalism to keep it alive. Sign up for The Playlist Newsletter. All the content you want and, oh, right, it’s free.

You can watch the newly released trailer for “Motel Destino” below, which invokes a stellar visual flair with its use of rich neon colors, warm sunny tones, and dark contrasts that you’d expect from a Nicolas Winding Refn project. Impressive to say the least.