Summary
Yucatán provides a story of corrupt minds only interested in money, in a comedy that is spread a little thin but does on occasion entertain.
I have never been on a luxury cruise, but I have always imagined them to be quite dull. They are probably not, but the whole concept feels like forced fun with the family, spending a dirty amount of money and watching late night entertainment with acts who never made it. Daniel Monzón‘s Netflix film Yucatán gives that atmosphere of forced fun much like Kristen Bell’s Like Father, but instead surrounds a story of greed, and the inability to look beyond the money.
In regards to the premise, Yucatán’s core characters are Lucas (Luis Tosar) and Clayderman (Rodrigo De la Serna) who are both cruise entertainers and have spent years scheming against their customers for quick-win riches. Caught in the middle is Verónica (Stephanie Cayo). Clayderman at this point in the story is in a relationship with Verónica but is irritated by Lucas’s appearance; he’s an ex, but they also used to be a group of friends. So there is a lot of history in the story.
The story ofYucatán changes when both men realize that an older man on the ship has recently won the lottery. He’s an ex-baker, but the cruise is unaware of his wealth, it seems. Lucas and Clayderman spend the rest of the film trying to entice the old man, using a series of tricks and methods to extract money off him. The emotional module of the plot is Verónica, who seems tempted by the opportunity but she wants to be the lottery for the men, almost like a “love is more important” byline.
The Netflix film drags us through a series of gags, some amusing, some minute-by-minute filler to reach the 2-hour mark. Yes, surprisingly, Yucatán is two hours long, which can be a long time based on a story involving a cruise. But it somehow manages to keep things semi-interesting throughout. To tempt the old man down the path of giving up the money, they play out a variety of scenarios to make it happen, but ultimately cancel each other out due to their competitive nature over Verónica.
Yucatán is like a goose that can lay golden eggs. The lottery winner is the goose, and the characters do everything in their power to ensure the goose is looked after so it continues to produce the eggs. Strange analogy, but the characters do not enjoy that concept, allowing their corrupt minds to fulfill their emotions. The Netflix film may be a comedy, but the principles remain the same.
Is Yucatán worth watching? It’s worth a punt, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you felt a little bored at some points. This story did not require 2 hours and 10 minutes to be told.
