Nahuel Pérez Biscayart stars as a tortured jockey whose persona undergoes a dramatic transformation after a horrific mishap in Kill the Jockey, a presentation at the Venice Film Festival by Argentine director Luis Ortega. This horse-themed psychological thriller-comedy has a lot to offer for those who enjoy kitsch, surrealism or absurdity. However, some viewers may be disappointed by the movie’s determined attempts to enchant and may feel it loses pace towards the end.
Renowned for his love of eclectic music, Ortega ensures Kill the Jockey, backed in part by Warner Music Entertainment, lives up to this reputation with a spectacular soundtrack that incorporates Latin pop, heavy synth EDM, local tango and original tunes by Sune Rose Wagner. The high-saturation color scheme, boxy 1:85 ratio, and consciously elegant performances produce a vibe reminiscent of Aki Kaurismäki’s distinctive style, no surprise given Timo Salminen, Kaurismäki’s long-time cinematographer, is the cameraman here.
The movie’s vintage charm is enhanced by production design and costumes that reflect the 1950s and ’60s, distinctively observable in the cut of men’s suits and Nahuel Pérez Biscayart's outfit, which consists of a full-length mink coat with short bracelet sleeves and a thickly wrapped bandage around his head, reminiscent of a snug pillbox hat.
We first meet protagonist Remo Manfredini (Biscayart), a heavy drinker, being escorted away by his boss, Sirena's (Daniel Giménez Cacho) goons, from a stone-faced crowd in a Buenos Aires bar. Sirena, a gangster controlling regional gambling, has an unusual preference for carrying "his" baby, a rotation of infants, just like his machine guns.
A clearly dysfunctional Remo struggles with his addiction as he preps for a race. At one event, he barely makes it off the grid. The winner of the race, his professional contender and romantic partner Abril (Úrsula Coberó, Money Heist), celebrates their win with a quirky disco duet, certainly a standout moment for viewers. Abril is revealed to be pregnant with Remo's baby, yet seems indifferent about having Remo as a co-parent. On another note, another jockey, Ana (Mariana Di Girolamo) expresses her romantic feelings for Abril, adding a soft romantic twist to the plot.
Despite Remo's well-established imprudence, Sirena insists that Remo enter the next big race on a Japanese stallion named Mishima. After a successful start, Remo loses control and crashes into the fence, sustaining severe injuries, causing amnesia. Upon stealing a patient's coat and handbag, he leaves the hospital, wandering the streets of Buenos Aires.
The narrative then delves into a series of semi-comic interactions as Remo adopts the name Dolores and begins exploring his feminine identity. It seems to highlight the volatility of gender or modern masculinity's fragility, or perhaps it's simply playful. The script may lack depth in queer theory or character motivation, but the attractive cast's dynamic performances keep the not-so-lengthy movie upbeat. It ends up resembling a stylized fashion production, with Ortega's distinct vision being the key selling point.
