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Motel Destino

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Motel Destino
Brazilian theatrical release poster
Directed byKarim Aïnouz
Written byWislan Esmeraldo
  • in collaboration with
  • Karim Aïnouz
  • Mauricio Zacharias[a]
Produced by
  • Hélène Théodoly
  • Gabrielle Tana
  • Michael Weber
  • Viola Fügen
  • Didar Domehri
  • André Novis
  • Caio Gullane
  • Fabiano Gullane
  • Janaina Bernardes
Starring
CinematographyHélène Louvart
Edited byNelly Quettier
Music byAmine Bouhafa
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Pandora Filmes (Brazil)
  • Tandem Films (France)
  • Piffl Medien (Germany)
Release dates
  • 22 May 2024 (2024-05-22) (Cannes)
  • 22 August 2024 (2024-08-22) (Brazil)
  • 14 November 2024 (2024-11-14) (Germany)
  • 25 December 2024 (2024-12-25) (France)
Running time
115 minutes
Countries
  • Brazil
  • France
  • Germany
LanguagePortuguese
Box office$13,454[1]

Motel Destino is a 2024 erotic thriller film directed and co-written by Karim Aïnouz. Starring Iago Xavier, Nataly Rocha and Fábio Assunção,[2] it follows Heraldo (Xavier), a young impoverished man fleeing from his criminal past, who takes refuge at a motel in Fortaleza, a coastal city in Brazil.

The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on 22 May, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or and Queer Palm. It was released in Brazil by Pandora Filmes on 22 August, in Germany by Piffl Medien on 14 November, and in France by Tandem Films on 25 December.

Premise

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The neon-hued Motel Destino, a roadside sex hotel glistening 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.[3]

Cast

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  • Iago Xavier as Heraldo
  • Nataly Rocha as Dayana
  • Fábio Assunção as Elias
  • Renan Capivara as Jorge
  • Fabiola Liper as Bambina
  • Isabela Catão as Marta
  • Yuri Yamamoto as Môco
  • David Santos as Rafael
  • Jupyra Carvalho as Carol
  • Bertrand de Courville as Maxime

Production

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Motel Destino was produced by Cinema Inflamável and Gullane in co-production with Globo Filmes, Telecine, and Canal Brasil, and co-produced internationally by Maneki Films (France) and The Match Factory (Germany). The screenplay was written by Wislan Esmeraldo, in collaboration with Aïnouz and Mauricio Zacharias. The film was shot entirely in Ceará, where Aïnouz hails from.[4] Iago Xavier and Nataly Rocha were selected for the lead roles after an extensive audition process which included over 500 actors.[2]

Release

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Motel Destino was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival,[5] where it had its world premiere on 22 May 2024.[6]

Pandora Filmes theatrically released the film in Brazil on 22 August 2024,[7] while Piffl Medien released it in Germany on 14 November 2024,[8] and Tandem Films distributed it in France on 25 December 2024.[9] Brouhaha/Written Rock are handling the UK rights, and worldwide sales are entrusted to The Match Factory.[4]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 31 critics' reviews are positive, and those with numerical ratings or letter grades average 6.9 out of 10. The website's consensus reads: "Despite some narrative stumbles in its latter half and a style-over-substance approach at times, Motel Destino seduces with its sultry atmosphere, a trio of fearless performances, and stunning visuals."[10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 9 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]

In his review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw awarded the film four stars out of five, calling it "terrifically acted by its central trio: three intensely and unselfconsciously physical performances in which their bodies are frequently on show, sensual but fragile."[12] Little White Lies was also positive about the film's merits, declaring it "a sleazy stay in a neon nightmare."[13]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 25 May 2024 Palme d'Or Karim Aïnouz Nominated [5]
Queer Palm Nominated [14]
Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro 30 July 2025 Best Film Motel Destino Nominated [15]
Best Director Karim Aïnouz Nominated
Best Actor Fábio Assunção Nominated
Best Cinematography Hélène Louvart Nominated
Best Production Design Marcos Pedroso Nominated
Best Costume Design Kika Lopes and Ananda Frazão Nominated
Best Score Amine Bouhafa Nominated
Best Sound Moabe Filho, Pedro Moreira, Waldir Xavier and Adrian Baumeister Nominated
Audience Award Motel Destino Nominated
Lima Film Festival 17 August 2024 Best Picture Nominated [16]
São Paulo Art Critics Association 21 January 2025 Best Actor Fábio Assunção Nominated [17]

Notes

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  1. ^ The film credits Esmeraldo as writer, "in collaboration with" Aïnouz and Zacharias.

References

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  1. ^ "Motel Destino". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b Barraclough, Leo (7 August 2023). "'Firebrand' Director Karim Aïnouz Starts Production on Erotic Thriller 'Motel Destino,' the Match Factory Handles Sales". Variety. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  3. ^ "MOTEL DESTINO". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b Bergeson, Samantha (11 April 2024). "'Motel Destino' First Look: Karim Aïnouz Returns to Brazil for Sweaty Erotic Sex Hotel Thriller". IndieWire. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b Ntim, Zac (11 April 2024). "Cannes Film Festival Lineup Set: Competition Includes Coppola, Audiard, Cronenberg, Arnold, Lanthimos, Sorrentino & Abbasi's Trump Movie — Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  6. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Motel Destino" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Pandora Filmes. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Motel Destino" (in German). Piffl Medien. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Motel Destino" (in French). Tandem Films. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Motel Destino". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  11. ^ "Motel Destino". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  12. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (22 May 2024). "Motel Destino review – terrifically acted Brazilian erotic noir thriller". The Guardian.
  13. ^ "Motel Destino review – a sleazy stay in a neon nightmare". Little White Lies. 9 May 2025.
  14. ^ Dams, Tim (9 May 2024). "Queer Palm reveals eligible titles from 2024 Cannes lineup". Screen International. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Prêmio Grande Otelo: veja lista completa dos vencedores". gshow (in Brazilian Portuguese). 30 July 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  16. ^ "¡Estos son los ganadores del 28 Festival de Cine de Lima PUCP!". festivaldelima.com (in Spanish). 17 August 2024. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  17. ^ Pinto, Flávio (19 December 2024). "Prêmio APCA: "Ainda Estou Aqui" e "O Dia que Te conheci" lideram indicações". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 27 February 2025.
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