In Mexico with the war on drugs at its peak, 12-year-old Estela and her brother Heli are soon drawn into the drug trade because of her 17-year-old soldier boyfriend. In the end, the two are kidnapped by a gang organization and the young soldier is thrust into a grisly, nightmarish world. Heli was arguably one of the most controversial films at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. While disclosing the chronic crime and violence in modern Mexico and the country’s institutionalized corruption, the film shows a brutal torture sequence in real time. Whether it appears marginal compared to the Mexican reality is to be judged by each viewer. Still, it is quite shocking to see the boys dispassionately enjoying video games during the torture. This scene does not mar, though, the director’s ability to control the entire plot. The powerful first silent sequence shot as a long take, the following desolate scenes and the dreamy atmosphere all contribute to the rhythm, excellently driving the entire story with the last scene reaching the sublime. The film won the Best Director Award at Cannes this year for Mexico’s promising Amat Escalante. (RHEE Soue-won)