Pablo Escobar is a figure that has fascinated filmmakers for years, and rears his head once again – played by Benicio Del Toro – In Escobar: Paradise Lost, which has a first trailer out after playing the festival circuit.
Though the legendary drug kingpin is right there in the title, the actual viewpoint for the story is that of Nick (Josh Hutcherson), a young Canadian surfer who rocks up in Colombia with his brother Dylan (Brady Corbet).
When Nick meets and falls for the lovely Maria (Claudia Traisac), he’s immediately smitten, but she comes with one fairly dangerous string attached – she’s Escobar’s niece. That said, Nick is soon accepted as part of Pablo’s family and invited to his sprawling jungle fortress where the money flows, but death also hangs around. Oh, and Nick learns why his potential father-in-law is so rich and respected and it has nothing to do with sensible savings and a pension plan. Too soon, Nick is drawn into the world, and even if he wanted to leave it might be in a coffin.
The trailer is a little heavy on showing almost the entire movie, so if you want to decide if this is for you, there is ample opportunity to sample the tone. Still, it’s only set for a US release, on January 16, so far.