Film Review: Desire Deseo 慾望 (2026) - Mexico
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
I rated it 7.5/10
Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2
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In the lush, sun-drenched suburbs of privilege, where marble floors echo with quiet dissatisfaction, Desire (original title Deseo) unfolds like a slow-burning fuse attached to a powder keg of human longing. Teresa Simone’s feature debut is an erotic thriller that doesn’t so much reinvent the wheel as polish it with Mexican intensity and sheen — resulting in a film that is by turns seductive, silly, and strangely poignant.
Ludwika Paleta delivers a committed, physically and emotionally raw performance as Lucero, a successful lawyer whose seemingly perfect marriage to Fernando (José María Yazpik) has settled into comfortable routine. Their anniversary celebration crackles with the undercurrents of unspoken voids — the kind of marital stasis that many films gloss over but this one lingers on. When the young, magnetic swimming coach Matías (Óscar Casas) enters their world, the spark is immediate and dangerous. What begins as a torrid affair quickly escalates into obsession, with the added complication of familial attraction that threatens to unravel everything.
Simone directs with a keen eye for sensual detail — lingering shots of skin glistening under poolside light, the oppressive weight of luxury homes that feel more like gilded cages. The screenplay (by Giulia Cardamone and Vanessa Miklos) leans heavily into melodrama, and at times the plot veers into territory that feels deliberately provocative to the point of near-absurdity. Yet there’s an honesty in how it portrays desire not as mere lust, but as a desperate grasp for vitality in lives that have grown stagnant. The film understands that the real danger isn’t the affair itself, but the way secrets metastasize within a family unit.
The supporting performances elevate the material. Yazpik brings quiet dignity and simmering pain to Fernando, while Casas embodies the dangerous allure of youth with convincing charisma. The chemistry between Paleta and her co-stars crackles, even when the script occasionally tips into soap-operatic excess. Cinematography captures the contrast between gleaming surfaces and emotional rot, though some of the more “erotic” sequences feel a touch mechanical, prioritizing shock over genuine heat.
Where Desire falters is in its resolution, which strains credibility and leans a bit too hard on twists that feel more convenient than earned. It’s the kind of film that mistakes volume for depth in its final act. Still, for a debut, Simone shows real promise in navigating the tricky terrain of erotic thriller conventions while injecting cultural specificity and emotional texture.
In the end, Desire is a reminder that passion is both life-affirming and destructive — a force that can illuminate the emptiness we try to ignore. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a stylish, entertaining ride that lingers longer than many of its streaming peers. Worth a passionate evening on the couch, especially if you appreciate films that dare to explore the messier corners of the human heart. (Neo, 2026)