Motel Destino

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Motel Destino

1h 52m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

76%

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25 Reviews

Popcornmeter

0 Verified Ratings

The neon-hued Motel Destino is a roadside sex hotel under the burning blue skies of the coast of Northern Brazil, run by the boorish Elias and his frustrated, beautiful wife Dayana. When 21 year-old Heraldo finds himself at the motel, after messing up a hit and going on the run from both the police and the gang he let down, Dayana finds herself intrigued and lets him stay. As the two navigate a dance of power, desire and liberation, a dangerous plan for freedom emerges. In this tropical noir, loyalties and desires intertwine, revealing that destiny has its own enigmatic design.

Karim Aïnouz

Director

Iago Xavier

Actor

Nataly Rocha

Actor

Fábio Assunção

Actor

Wislan Esmeraldo

Screenwriter

Karim Aïnouz

Screenwriter

Beacon

91%

%

Beacon

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Borrowed

75%

%

Borrowed

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Self Driver

100%

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Justin Chang

The New Yorker

Set at a seedy roadside motel where the clientele never stops moaning, it’s a feverishly shambling erotic thriller starring three very game actors in a romantic triangle that plays like James M. Cain with sex toys.

May 30, 2024

Full Review

Valerie Complex

Deadline Hollywood Daily

However, despite its gripping start and lush cinematography, the film ultimately loses its way, bogged down by a sluggish middle act and narrative inconsistencies.

May 25, 2024

Full Review

David Rooney

The Hollywood Reporter

Despite its flaws, Motel Destino has mood, rawness and atmosphere to burn, fueled by Amine Bouhafa’s score, which becomes steadily more disquieting as it ratchets up the urgency.

May 24, 2024

Full Review

Filipe Freitas

Always Good Movies

It offers a shallow cinematic experience that may not leave you breathless, but its darkness lingers like cement.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 28, 2025

Full Review

Emma Simmonds

Radio Times

It's so strange and stunningly shot by French cinematographer Hélène Louvart (La Chimera) that it rises above the grubbiness to become something rather striking.

Rated: 4/5

May 23, 2025

Full Review

Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

In this hothouse, madness easily exerts its grip.

Rated: 4/5

May 9, 2025

Full Review

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Synopsis

The neon-hued Motel Destino is a roadside sex hotel under the burning blue skies of the coast of Northern Brazil, run by the boorish Elias and his frustrated, beautiful wife Dayana. When 21 year-old Heraldo finds himself at the motel, after messing up a hit and going on the run from both the police and the gang he let down, Dayana finds herself intrigued and lets him stay. As the two navigate a dance of power, desire and liberation, a dangerous plan for freedom emerges. In this tropical noir, loyalties and desires intertwine, revealing that destiny has its own enigmatic design.

Director: Karim Aïnouz
Producer: Janaína Bernardes, Caio Gullane, Fabiano Gullane, André Novis, Gabrielle Tana, Hélène Théodoly
Screenwriter: Wislan Esmeraldo, Karim Aïnouz, Mauricio Zacharias
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Production Co: Cinema Inflamável, Gullane
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 29, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 52m