User Reviews

I viewed this film under the impression that it would be about China, and more specifically, the successful Chinese invasion of America or other Western countries. This film, directed by Cary Fukunaga and shown at this year's Sundance Film Festival, is however not about Chinese people, but actually Mexican people who pay to be transported "into the heartland of Texas" in an eighteen wheeler. There are about 80 of these people, and the film, at the end, shows you that 19 of them died, presumably from dehydration, lack of air, and possibly previous illness (and it is suggested maybe even with the consent of fellow passengers in some situations). The film has beautiful visuals and feels very 'polished' and tells this tragic story with aplomb. It might have been interesting to see the film without subtitles, so that the Mexicans really have their own identity and you have to really pay attention to them. This can be easily accomplished by the viewer, however, by making your hand flat like the horizon, and then putting your horizon hand over the subtitles. This starts to hurt after a while because even though this film is short, you must keep your hand there for the whole time as the whole thing is basically in Spanish.