Son of Monarchs

Son of Monarchs (Spanish: Hijo de Monarcas) is a 2020 American-Mexican drama film directed and written by Alexis Gambis. The film stars Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Alexia Rasmussen, Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez, Noé Hernández, Paulina Gaitán and William Mapother.^[1]

Son of Monarchs
Poster
Spanish	Hijo de Monarcas
Directed by	Alexis Gambis
Written by	Alexis Gambis
Produced by	Abraham Dayan Maria Altamirano
Starring	Tenoch Huerta Mejía Alexia Rasmussen Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez Noé Hernández Paulina Gaitán William Mapother
Cinematography	Alejandro Mejía
Edited by	Èlia Gasull Balada Alexis Gambis
Production companies	Imaginal Disc Labocine
Release date	November 1, 2020 (2020-11-01) (Morelia)
Running time	97 minutes
Countries	United States Mexico
Languages	Spanish English

The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Morelia International Film Festival,^[2] followed by a screening at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021.^[3]

Plot

After the death of his grandmother, a Mexican biologist living in New York City returns to his hometown nestled in the majestic monarch butterfly forests of Michoacán after many years. The journey forces him to face the traumas of the past and reflect on his new hybrid identity, launching him into a personal and spiritual metamorphosis.

Cast

The cast include:^[4]

• Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Mendel
• Alexia Rasmussen as Sarah
• Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez
• Noé Hernández as Simon
• Paulina Gaitán as Brisa
• William Mapother as Bob
• Electra Avellan as Lucía

Release

The film had its premiere in the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021 in the Next section, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize.^[5] The film was picked up by WarnerMedia and was released in theaters and on HBO Max on October 15, 2021.^[6] Its commercial premiere is scheduled on May 25, 2023 in Mexican theaters.^[7]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 31 critics and, categorizing the reviews as positive or negative, assessed 18 as positive and 3 as negative for a 90% rating. Among the reviews, it determined an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Son of Monarchs requires patience, but viewers attuned to its ambitious wavelength will be rewarded with a film that gracefully combines science with social identity."^[8]