‘Kill The Jockey’ Review – A Slow Burn Turned Explosive

Looking at it from a physical and emotional perspective, birth is traumatic. For the mother and the child, it is both an act of violence and one of pure, beautiful creation. The soon-to-be infant knows nothing about the process or what is happening on the outside or inside. This ignorance must be a mild bliss. Rebirth, though, is something completely different. Rebirth is a choice. Knowing the trauma, emotionally speaking, that is to come, we opt for the pain because it is worth it, in the end, to be who we are meant to become.

Kill The Jockey (El Jockey) follows Remo (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart), a once successful jockey, who has fallen on difficult times. He is not only drinking heavily before races, but also stealing and taking drugs meant for horses. Biscayart appears distant, disengaged, and remote, but the reasons for this are purposefully hidden from us. Remo, along with his partner, Abril (Úrsula Corberó), races horses under the control of a local mobster, Sirena (Daniel Giménez Cacho). The film, in the first half, seems obtuse and difficult to reach. It is not until much later in the narrative that we come to understand why. This is both a feature and a bug, because sure, there is a real purpose to every frame in the film, but it will also test the patience of even seasoned fans of cinema. It is easy to imagine a viewer disengaging by the time the real power of the movie unveils itself.

Director (and co-writer with Fabian Casas and Rodolfo Palacios) Luis Ortega, who has not helmed a narrative film since El Angel in 2018, manages to combine genres in a way that general audiences will likely struggle to engage with. Part surreal, part dark comedy, part romance; Kill The Jockey has something for everyone, but maybe not enough of that something for some. But, if you manage to focus in on the energy that it creates, there are plenty of rewards. In particular, the performance of Corberó is an absolute stunner to watch. At first, she may seem ancillary, first as competition for Remo, then as his romantic partner, or simply a pretty face to distract from the slowed pace of the introduction. But, as the film opens up, so does Abril. Even though the focus is mostly on Remo, it is her connection and reaction that make the film important.

It is a struggle to discuss this film without spoiling anything, but Remo is involved in an accident that kills a horse owned by Sirena. This, of course, creates a number of problems. Sirena and his goons are after him, and he is grievously injured, relegated to a hospital stay. But all of the slowness of the first act changes upon his awakening. Remo goes through a dramatic change, a rebirth into something completely different than we have been shown previously. Before the reveal, there are elements of ghost stories, surrealistic horrors, and an underground society that none of us are privy to. These are not red herrings, but are also not entirely the point of Remo’s change.

As this change happens, the pace of the film picks up substantially. All of those moments that tried your patience earlier are now worth the wait. With a simple twist of the narrative, Remo and Abril’s story comes into clear focus. Every strange, disjointed moment locks into place. It is the rare movie that can make a viewer reflect during a movie, as opposed to after it, or upon rewatch. The change that occurs affects all of the individuals featured, but especially Remo and Abril. Any distance that was created is now bridged, and they both become intensely easy to root for. 

Kill The Jockey is one to hold on to for 2025. It will certainly not cater to all tastes, but for those of us with strange, or even queer, sensibilities, Luis Ortega has opened the door to a film world that felt not only closed, but locked. As that door is shattered open, both the protagonist and our view of them are reborn. It is painful, difficult, and confusing; like any birth. But the creative power that propels it must be seen to be believed. There are films that have powerful moments, but far fewer that have powerful journeys. The combined force of Ortega, Biscayart, and especially Corbero moves the audience towards an understanding that closes with both sorrow and joy, the most difficult needle to thread.

Kill The Jockey is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Music Box Films.