Stateside, audiences may know Amat Escalante best for directing episodes of “Narcos: Mexico” for Netflix. But Escalante deserves more recognition than that, having excellent independent dramas like 2013’s “Heli” and 2016’s “The Untamed.” And Escalante returns to the Croisette for the first time since “Heli” premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or with his new film, “Lost In The Night.”
As a late addition to the Cannes line-up, “Lost In The Night” won’t have its world premiere in competition for the fest’s top prize, instead premiering in the Cannes Premiere section. But that should dissuade people from taking a look at the twisty thriller. Escalante’s latest follows a young Mexican man who wants justice for his missing activist mother and discovers he needs to take matters into his own hands.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Lost In The Night,” courtesy of Cinetic Media:
Emiliano lives in a small mining town in Mexico. Motivated by a deep sense of justice, he searches for those responsible for the disappearance of his activist mother who was standing up for local jobs against an international mining company. Receiving no help from the police or judicial system, he finds a clue that leads him to the wealthy Aldama Family, where he meets a famous artist, his celebrity wife and their beautiful daughter. It’s not long before he has a job at their home and becomes determined to uncover the secrets beneath the surface.
“Lost In The Night” stars Juan Daniel García, Bárbara Mori, Ester Expósito, Fernando Bonilla, and Maria Fernanda Osio. Escalante writes the film in addition to directing, his first since “The Untamed.” Producers on the “Lost In The Night” include Nicolás Celis, Fernanda De la Paz, and Escalante.
Escalante’s latest crime drama has its world premiere at Cannes on May 18. Watch a trailer for “Lost In The Night” below.