Motel Destino

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1:49

Motel Destino

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1h 52m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

76%

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29 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 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.

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Godfrey Cheshire

RogerEbert.com

His excellent cast helps keep the tale engrossing.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 29, 2025

Full Review

Beatrice Loayza

New York Times

The payoff feels somewhat slight, but the foreplay — the will-they-or-won’t-they and the will-he-find-out — builds up with energy and flare.

Aug 28, 2025

Full Review

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

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Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

A mildly engaging and well-shot crime thriller that suffers from style over substance and not enough surprises or palpable thrills.

Aug 26, 2025

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Clotilde Chinnici

The People's Movies

Motel Destino is a visually striking work that is worth seeing on the big screen to appreciate it entirely. Despite some faults, it remains a memorable film that is bound to surprise its audience until its very final shot.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 7, 2025

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

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O g

Flawed, but watchable

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/30/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 52 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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Karim Aïnouz

Director

Iago Xavier

Actor

Nataly Rocha

Actor

Fábio Assunção

Actor

Wislan Esmeraldo

Screenwriter

Karim Aïnouz

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Motel Destino: Trailer 1

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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