So they pray and move along the lines of corruption and power. Like a nest of crawlers climbing on top of each other scraping pennies for ransom. The so-called government policy of drug cleansing is just another form of oppression. People live the same "jungle law". It all screams a steaming nightmare . It seems like a tropical pandemonium.
The camera sweats with gritty realism. Like a trap, falling away from fantasy rolled in a paranoid delusion. Shot like a live documentary with a magnifying glass steadicam running through the slums in the chase for another piece of the story.
Rosa Reyes lives by selling goods in a local suburban store and dealing drugs on the side. Her husband uses and deals also. Their kids disperse each other in gambling or prostitution. Is all there to please immoral and self denial, the connection l sets for imminent disaster. When corrupt cops raid their place and demand money in exchange for freedom they will deal with whatever means they have in order to remain together. Dystopian holiday street food slum vs after party early morning hangover, That's how it felt parallel stories. Meaning one of their parents and the other one of their kids
The nocturnal feels steamy and dreary. There was no conclusion where anything could end up exactly as it started. Like a living hell where after isn't better than before. There was no escape for them or their kids. The Reyes were doomed before they even knew anything different. The last shot says it all. Is so overwhelmingly sad the face of Rosa contemplating where she is now and forever be. Jaclyn Jose won the Best actor award at Cannes for this role. Sadly she passed away less than a year ago in 2024 from a heart attack. She was 60 years old.
