Writer/director/producer/star Julio Torres’ debut feature Problemista was delayed from early fall 2023, due to the ongoing SAG/WGA strikes, and is finally being released in the spring of 2024. I had been waiting to see this one for some time. It had a great trailer and lots of enthusiastic word of mouth from its premiere at SXSW. Problemista feels very first-feature in the sense that it boasts a fresh voice with something specific and interesting to say. But it also avoids a lot of your typical first feature problems in compelling ways.

Alejandro (Torres) emigrated to New York City from his home in El Salvador, having lived with his artist single mother. Alejandro dreams of becoming a toy designer, and working for Hasbro, and to simply apply for a job to get his foot in the door, he had to move from his home country to the US. And yet, every time he applies, he is ignored. Worse, he receives automated response rejection letters from the Hasbro corporation – he isn’t even being considered for the job of his dreams.

After being unfairly laid off at his day job, Alejandro is suddenly in the position of needing someone to sponsor his visa within 30 days, at the risk of being deported. He is enlisted by the very eccentric, erratic Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), to advise her in mounting an art show of her deceased husband’s paintings. He begins to connect with her and realize they may have more in common than he originally thought. However, due to her unpredictable nature, it’s hard for him to know where he stands with her at any given point. While trying to make enough money to pay his rent and his bills, and dealing with his immigration issue, Alejandro must navigate this impossible maze so many Americans do, with no true ending in sight.

Julio Torres proves an immediately interesting filmmaker to watch, and his character is relatable, charming, genuine and earnest. He’s telling a very specific immigrant experience story but there’s enough here to make this story relatable to just about anybody. And it doesn’t feel like he’s sacrificing creativity or artistry to make this story more universal. Torres brings a visually exciting and surrealist sensibility to his emotionally tender and heartfelt story. In addition to a sharp, snappy, delightful screenplay, weird and fascinating costume and set work, some potentially downright iconic moments, it’s Torres’ delicate and involving performance and his comedic chemistry with the great Tilda Swinton that really brings this thing home. 

Oh, and a quick word about Tilda Swinton. I cannot remember the last time I’ve seen Swinton have this much fun in any movie. She is having the time of her life playing this insane character, and making a meal out of even the smallest line readings. The smallest details – like Swinton’s character not knowing how to turn off the flashlight on her iPhone – to the point where that bright shining light is just always on – this character is very specifically drawn. Elizabeth kind of presents as a coked-up Miranda Priestly, who is endlessly chaotic and impossible to be around, and yet the more time the two spend together, the more we get why this relationship makes sense. These two characters are so delightful to watch together, and just watching the two personalities bounce off each other carries this movie a long way.

Like I said, this is a story about the immigrant experience and the general concept of the American dream, but Torres consistently finds fascinating avenues into that story that make it feel like a version of this story we haven’t seen before. It also brings up plenty of interesting ideas about how to succeed in life, to deal with the person in life who is ‘the problem’, to get what we really want, maybe we have to become the problems ourselves. And that maybe in the end that’s okay? The ideas here give you plenty to explore after you walk out. And yet it never stops being this hilarious, exuberant, very alive piece of filmmaking. I’m absolutely looking forward to whatever Julio Torres does next.