In Joel Alfonso Vargas’s Bronx-set romance, 19-year-old Rico (Juan Collado) and 16-year-old Destiny (Destiny Checo) are expecting a baby and determined to keep it. Hard times are ahead for the couple, who are committed to making a go of parenthood even as they’re stuck living with Rico’s mom (Yohanna Florentino) and sister (Nathaly Navarro). Rico’s idea of a good job is selling bootleg cocktails (“nutties”) on the beach, and his new circumstances bump up hard against his youthful naivete…
Mad Bills to Pay is of a rare breed indeed: It’s funny without being frivolous, realistic without being defeatist, tough-minded without being cynical, and tender without being sentimental. As a depiction of unplanned pregnancy, it rings true in ways that other American movies come up short, due in large part to its forthright depiction of class. There’s no easy way out for Rico and Destiny, and the film doesn’t pretend otherwise — which makes it glow with sincerity.
Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast: NEXT, Sundance 2025; Grand Prize: International Competition, Jeonju 2025
Juan Collado, Destiny Checo, Yohanna Florentino, Nathaly Navarro
USA
2025
In English and Spanish with English subtitles
At International Village
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Christine Vachon, Gabriel Mayer, Julie Waters, Evan Dyal, Robina Riccitiello, Josh Peters, Liam Francis Quigley
Producer
Paolo Maria Pedullà
Screenwriter
Joel Alfonso Vargas
Cinematography
Rufai Ajala
Editor
Irfan Van Tuijl, Joel Alfonso Vargas
Production Design
Lia Chiarin
Original Music
Niklas Sandahl
Joel Alfonso Vargas
Joel Alfonso Vargas is a director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. Raised in the Bronx and surrounding areas of New York City, his creative instincts are influenced by his Dominican American community and love of hip-hop. Self-taught, Vargas is committed to grassroots filmmaking. His recent projects have explored the intersection of documentary and fiction, focusing on diasporic identity, coming of age, and social, racial, and economic justice. He is a Tribeca Film Institute All Access and WarnerMedia Our Local Is Global grantee, a Locarno Pardi di Domani Best Direction Award winner, and a Filmmaker Magazine “New Face of Independent Film”.
Filmography: Target is Hiring (2020); Shadow (2023); May It Go Beautifully for You, Rico (2024)
Photo by Adam Pietkiewicz
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