Director Andrés Baiz‘s mediocre “Pimpinero: Blood and Oil” attempts to immerse audiences in the harsh and perilous world of gasoline smuggling along the Colombian-Venezuelan border. Loosely based on true events, the narrative is steeped in corruption, betrayal, and family conflict set against the backdrop of a treacherous underworld. It’s interesting enough, but Baiz struggles to elevate his premise beyond conventional thriller tropes.
Set in the early 2010s, the film follows Moisés (Juanes), the eldest brother in a trio of gasoline smugglers. The whole operation is disrupted when his youngest sibling Juan (Alejandro Speitzer) is coerced into working for a rival criminal organization. The narrative unfolds with the typical themes of corruption and treachery, leading to a series of tragic and predictable consequences that any astute viewer can see coming from a mile away.
Juanes delivers a solid performance as Moisés, bringing a weight to his role that is complemented by Alberto Guerra’s portrayal of Ulises, a character torn between fear and grief. Despite the men working well together onscreen, the film’s character development feels uneven.
There are numerous introductions of secondary characters who are subsequently written out without adding substantial value to the story, which results in a narrative that feels bloated and unnecessarily complex. I was left frustrated as many characters would simply disappear without any sort of resolution.
The movie’s pacing is another notable problem. The slow start drags on, burdened by excessive exposition and a lack of engaging action sequences. When the story does attempt to ramp up the tension, it frequently falls back on well-worn clichés and repetitive plot points. The shift towards a human trafficking subplot further dilutes the film’s focus, making it feel more like a collection of genre tropes rather than a cohesive and innovative thriller.
“Pimpinero: Blood and Oil” struggles to balance its ambitious narrative with the need for dynamic storytelling. While it does present a compelling setting and boasts a strong cast, the film’s repetitive nature and slow pacing detract from its potential. The underbelly of the smuggling world is intriguing, but the execution ultimately renders it a predictable and somewhat forgettable addition to the thriller genre.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 