by Charles Kirkland Jr.
When a formerly successful jockey is no longer successful and proven unreliable, he goes on a journey of
self-discovery while a couple of mobsters have been instructed to Kill The Jockey.
Remo is a former star jockey, struggling with relentless addictions and a dangerously stubborn drive to
remain relevant. Abril is Remo’s partner and is ready to take over for Remo with the desire to be a greater
racer, which leads her to debate continuing her pregnancy.
The pair work for Sirena, a mobster who is betting hard on Remo winning the coming races. After an
unfortunate accident kills a valuable horse, Remo disappears into the seedy streets of Buenos Aires, and
Sirena sends his thugs to turn over every stone in town to find him.
Written and directed by Luis Ortega, Kill The Jockey stars Nahuel Pérez Biscayart as Remo and Úrsula
Corberó, known for the series Money Heist, as his partner Abril. Daniel Giménez Cacho plays Sibril the
mobster. This is Ortega’s fourth film in the Toronto International Film Festival.
Nahuel Pérez Biscayart and Úrsula Corberó are fantastic in this movie. Their chemistry together is
certifiably undeniable. Their spooky and quirky romance is sometimes spellbinding. As magnetic as they
are together, Biscayart and Corberó are equally as powerful as each of them embark on their
journeys of self-discovery. Graciously, Ortega writes intensely for each character, Remo and Abril instead
of focusing only on the titular subject.
Ortega has an extremely deft hand in creating a movie experience here that is unforgettable. In one
scene, he orchestrates an exquisitely unmissable dance sequence between Remo and Abril. In another,
he creates an unimaginable experience featuring a fatal racing accident without graphic horror but still
unsettling. Ortega succeeds in crafting a film that is mystical and dreamy where a person can explore
their identity and evaluate their existence but grounded in real-world experiences.
With a content warning for violence, mature themes, and drug use, Kill the Jockey is a sports comedy-
drama thriller film that is weirdly spiritual, sexy, and provocative. The story doesn’t always track
conceptually but visually it is definitely something you will never unsee.
Grade: B-