Life on the margins in Mexican society isn´t easy, and even more difficult if you’re transient and on the run. On The Road (En El Camino), an excellent, award-winning film noir by director David Pablos, takes us on a dark, tense, very gritty journey of raw masculinity, with violence and lust bedfellows, and a relevant nod to contemporary news events.

Veneno (Victor Prieto Simental) is a gay guy in his early twenties. He’s evading various people; the story behind this only gradually unfolds through the film. He’s currently hitching across Mexico, surviving by selling cocaine to Mexico´s legion of long-distance lorry drivers who need to stay awake for extended periods. He has sex with many of them along the way. Apparently, truckers are good at sex as they are used to going the distance.… One day, he gets picked up by a handsome thirty-something driver, Muneco (Osvaldo Sanchez Valenzuela). Muneco is straight and has a wife and kids, but doesn’t see them for reasons that become apparent. He’s relaxed about Veneno´s open-book sexuality, and the two strike up a close bond as they begin a long journey together. It soon transpires that they have more in common than they initially thought, sharing chaotic past and present lives. Matters reach a head on their trip with little respite and some very dramatic consequences.

On The Road (En El Camino) is that rare gem, a movie about life on the road that feels both thrilling and authentic. Mexico´s social problems are effectively incorporated into what is essentially a beautiful tale of human connection. The two leads have a special chemistry between them, Simental´s deadpan expressions contrasting with Valenzuela’s more relaxed demeanour. Both are aided by an excellent supporting cast of largely non-professional actors from the trucking world. Brilliant cinematography by Ximena Amann, particularly the lighting – ranging from sun-drenched daytimes to neon-lit nights – combined with epic Mexican locations, colours, real truck stops, lorry parks, diners and so on, reels you into the largely after-dark plot. There’s a lot to talk about this complex tale, but I can’t say too much without giving away spoilers. The pacing is excellent, with the slow drip-feed of both men´s pasts building a complex picture. A queer Narcos if you like. Producer Diego Luna was actually in Narcos Mexico, starring as Sinaloan dealer Miguel Gallardo.

Sex, drugs, drama, danger, romance, and companionship abound. Unmissable.