My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To

Every family is its own little universe: the people, the home, the rituals, the set places at the table, the favorite songs, the shared moments in front of the TV, and the everyday problems. Someone earns money, someone does the shopping, someone prepares meals. Someone needs care, and someone else provides it. It’s not always easy; sometimes you’d like life to look a little different, but ... a family’s a family. The universe of Dwight, Jennie, and Tom is no different in that respect. However, when guests cross the threshold of their house, with its tightly closed windows, they do so in only one direction—often dragged in by force. Does that sound like a horror? You’re warm: with well-known motifs such as photophobia and life-giving blood in the background, it’s a variation on the theme. In this case, however, we get a realistic story about a family in the style of a so-called kitchen sink drama—literally, as the kitchen is exactly where numerous bloody scenes take place. Jonathan Cuartas makes his debut, but with the kind of support others might envy: his father, Rodrigo, did the set design, and his older brother, Michael, did the cinematography. Blood’s thicker than water, you might say.