Carmen

After her mother is murdered, an independent young woman named Carmen flees the Mexican desert and illegally enters the United States. She is intercepted by a lawless border guard, but following a lethal confrontation between that guard and his partner, Aidan, Carmen and Aidan are forced to flee together. The pair travels north toward Los Angeles, seeking refuge at a nightclub owned by Carmen's mother's friend, Masilda. Within this environment of music and dance, the two find comfort and love while being pursued by the police.

Directed by Benjamin Millepied, this drama is the first of two films he has directed, preceding his 2026 project Romeo + Juliet. The screenplay was written by Millepied along with Alexander Dinelaris and Loïc Barrere. The movie features a cast including Melissa Barrera as Carmen, Paul Mescal as Aidan, Rossy de Palma as Masilda, and Elsa Pataky as Gabrielle. A production of Australia and France, the film was released on April 21, 2023, with a runtime of 117 minutes. Audience reception is mixed, with a rating of 5.7/10 on IMDb based on 1,500 votes and a score of 6.2/10 on TMDB from 65 votes.