Written and directed by Alan Barr, Accidental Expat follows the story of Raymond (Edgar de Santiago) – a young man who has spent the majority of his life in the United States but has been deported to Mexico City and now must live with his father. As soon as he arrives, Raymond begins working on a plan to get back to the place he knows as home. While waiting to hear back on his tourist visa application, Raymond gets himself a job at a call centre. Here he meets Hector (Axel Alcántara) who is sceptical about Raymond’s chances at getting back into the U.S.
The relationship between Raymond and his father, Miguel (Enrique Arreola), is a little strained. He has been largely absent from Raymond’s life and seems to feel threatened by his son’s presence. Miguel asserts that this is his house and that Raymond should follow his rules. When Raymond returns home after spending the night with a girl called Monica (Fátima Favela), Miguel makes this perfectly clear.
Despite a rocky start, Raymond pursues a relationship with Monica and we see a sensitive and humorous side to him emerge. But as their relationship develops, Miguel feels shunned. He expresses this by insinuating that Monica is only dating Raymond in order to get a green card, revealing to her that he is a deportee. Things continue to worsen for Raymond when he loses his job. The relationship with his father deteriorates further. He begins to lose hope. With nowhere left to turn, Raymond finally confronts the truth. With Monica by his side, he begins to accept and adjust to his new home. He begins to build his life in Mexico City away from his father.
Edgar de Santiago as Raymond is delightful to watch. He easily pulls you in to the narrative and you quickly find yourself riding the highs and lows of his life as if you’re right there with him. He has an undeniable charm and an infectious wit that brings some great humour to the film. The tension between Santiago and Enrique Arreola as his father, Miguel, is very well executed. The characters are very well written, but the writing is carried superbly by both actors. Arreola constantly shifts in his portrayal of Miguel. One moment he feels trustworthy and empathetic; the next, cold and calculated. This captures the true range of a toxic family dynamic. Fátima Favela as Monica is a wonderful addition to the cast. She doesn’t only exist within the narrative as a love interest for Raymond, but develops as a character in her own right. She has depth and dimension, again thanks to the writing of Alan Barr, but also because of Favela’s skilled portrayal. Axel Alcántara is particularly enjoyable to watch – the cheeky personality contrasts Raymond’s slight awkwardness and uncertainty but also brings out the confident side of our protagonist at times. It’s great to see a cast working together on so many levels to produce such a cohesive effect.
A story about youth, ambition, love, friends, family and the meaning of home. Alan Barr directs this sensitive and engaging portrait of what life might look like for a DREAMer – “a person who has lived in the US without official authorization since coming to the country as a minor”. Beyond being an enjoyable film filled with interesting characters, Accidental Expat also seeks to be a learning resource that educates others on issues of immigrated, deportation and DREAMers. The filmmakers are especially keen to distribute the film to universities, citing its educational and inspirational potential.
Watch the trailer below!