From Omeleto.

A family crosses a border.

US MX is used with permission from Joseph Hooten. Learn more at https://usmxfilm.com.

Leah and her young daughter Ariel are in the desert. In the darkness of the night, they are crossing a border.

The journey is dangerous, full of gunshots and bombs hidden in the ground. But Leah is determined to get her daughter to safety and to a better life.

Directed and written by Joseph Hooten, this fiercely urgent short drama transforms a race against time and overwhelming geopolitical forces into a poignant exploration of resilience, love, and survival. Situating its drama within the stark, unforgiving landscape of the desert in a slightly distant future, a mother and her young daughter are desperate to cross a border before sunrise, in search of a better life.

The premise is simple and harrowing, but the storytelling drops us right in the middle of thriller territory, making every moment felt with visceral tension and emotional depth. The cinematography is dark, the camerawork dynamic, with a pacing that starts off suspenseful and escalates into heart-racing. The visuals gesture at the barren deserts, jagged horizons, and sinister darkness, underscoring the desperation of those risking everything to elude capture, and the sparse soundscape –punctuated by gunfire, distant sirens, and breathless dialogue — intensifies the immediacy of their plight.

The action is gripping and well-drawn, but a succinct and vividly drawn mother-daughter connection layers in an intimate emotional register, raising the stakes and adding even more tension to the situation. Being dropped in the middle of the action, we don’t get much background info into the characters or even the impetus that sparked their journey, but we do get key moments of quiet between mother and daughter that reveal tenderness, fatigue, and an unbreakable connection. The performances by actors Atala Arce and Casey Lynn Lopez as Leah and Ariel are nervy and visceral; we feel their fear and anxiety as they attempt to cross, as well as their fierce love for one another. And as they face menace and obstacles in the dead of night, we understand how devastating it would be if they lost one another.

Fraught, gripping and dynamic, US MX is an action-thriller whose short-film run-time belies its ambition and cinematic scale. But what elevates it beyond its thriller trappings is its thematic resonance. The film is not merely about escaping authorities; it is about the very real crisis of displacement, borders, and the lengths to which people will go to secure dignity and opportunity for the ones they love. It also offers a final provocation at the end, one that transcends genre and propels the film into parable. Conceived in 2016 and released in 2021 as a proof of concept for a larger narrative, the film feels apropos to our current moment in history. But it’s also a testament to sacrifice, courage, and hope — and of love’s perseverance against overwhelming odds.