Motel Destino

Motel Destino is a 2024 erotic thriller film directed and co-written by Karim Aïnouz. It stars Iago Xavier, Nataly Rocha and Fábio Assunção in the lead roles.

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or and Queer Palm at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on 22 May 2024. It is scheduled to be released in Brazil on 22 August 2024, and in Germany on 14 November 2024.

Premise
The neon-hued Motel Destino, a roadside sex hotel shimmering (or a similar word) under the burning blue skies of the northeastern coast of Brazil, is run by hot-headed Elias and his restless younger wife Dayana. The unexpected arrival of 21-year-old Heraldo, on the run after a botched hit, disrupts the established order. As the tropical noir plays out, loyalties and desires intertwine to reveal that destiny has its own enigmatic design.

Cast

 * Iago Xavier as Heraldo
 * Nataly Rocha as Dayana
 * Fábio Assunção as Elias

Production
Motel Destino was produced by Cinema Inflamável and Gullane in co-production with Globo Filmes, Telecine, and Canal Brasil, and co-produced internationally by Maneki Films (France) and The Match Factory (Germany). The screenplay was written by Wislan Esmeraldo, in collaboration with Aïnouz and Mauricio Zacharias. The film was shot entirely in Ceará, where Aïnouz hails from. Iago Xavier and Nataly Rocha were selected for the lead roles after an extensive audition process which included over 500 actors.

Release
Motel Destino was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 22 May 2024.

Pandora Filmes is scheduled to theatrically release the film in Brazil on 22 August 2024 while Tandem Films is handling distribution in France, Brouhaha/Written Rock are handling the UK rights, and worldwide sales are entrusted to The Match Factory. Piffl Medien is set to release it in Germany on 14 November 2024.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 82% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 6 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.