Movie Review: The Message
Screened at Stockholm International Film Festival 2025
One-liner: This gentle, poetic road movie captures the quiet, nomadic life of makeshift family with a docudrama lens.
The Message (El mensaje) is an Argentinian road movie and “family” portrait centring on three people who traverse the countryside earning a living through a unique service. Myriam, the young girl at the heart of the story possesses a rare gift: the ability to serve as a medium between pet owners and their beloved animals. While cynics might dismiss it as a sideshow act, this innate ability becomes a “meal ticket” for her guardians, who band together to serve as her transport and facilitators.
An unusual film, it offers an intimate and candid depiction of this roadside attraction and their nomadic existence in a motorhome. They move from client to client, sustaining themselves through word-of-mouth and occasional media coverage as their popularity grows. Director Iván Fund adopts a style that is part documentary in its handling – utilizing a sense of spontaneity and an unscripted feel – yet remains strikingly cinematic through its framing and black-and-white cinematography.
Seeking a channel of authenticity for its dialogue, the film’s golden thread is the young girl, with continuity provided by her adoptive “parents” and their ongoing mission as they move from one pit stop to the next. There is a gentle ebb and flow to the drama thanks to an alluring soundtrack as the audience becomes a passenger on the motorhome, immersed in the world of this makeshift family. Their lifestyle offers a quiet intrigue, and while the film remains mysterious about how they came together, it simply allows them to exist in this space without judgment, honouring their choice to be exactly who they want to be.
A naïve undertone and childlike innocence carry through the film, maintaining its soft touch and magic realism. Ordinarily, one might expect something edgier – perhaps a turn toward trauma or an impending pitfall – yet The Message is more concerned with the minutiae. It finds its way through scraps of information, choosing to stay “in the moment” rather than servicing a grand, overarching narrative.
“Tell me your stories.”
The performances are a highlight with Anika Bootz, Mara Bestelli and Marcelo Subiotto compelling us on this at times mesmerising road trip. Subiotto’s character is the most enigmatic, offering a loyal, guiding presence, while the mother figure Anika, played by Bestelli, provides a more defined performance and the bulk of the dialogue. However, the heart and tone of the film reside in the naturalistic turn by Bootz as Myriam; her innocent vibration is ultimately what endears the viewer to the story.
Running at 90 minutes, The Message takes the viewer on a quiet journey where character depth outweighs traditional plot. Its unconventional rhythm and docudrama quality keep the audience invested, while the artful black-and-white aesthetic adds a layer of low-key, poetic beauty. While the film is occasionally so mundane and wispy that it lacks a firm grip, there is a gentle power in its hybrid, multi-genre approach. In the end, several beautifully curated moments define this thoughtful, observational film.
The bottom line: Gentle
