Sombras Chinas
November 10th, 2026
MOVIE: SOMBRAS CHINAS (CHINESE SHADOWS)
STARRING: CANDELA DEL ZOTTO, CARLOS BENINCASA, SOL ECHEVERRIA
DIRECTED BY: SEBAZTIAN BAZ
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 1 STAR (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 92 MINUTES
In an era of ever-changing technology, I was not opposed to watching a film shot in a 9:16 aspect ratio, a vertical format similar to TikTok videos or Instagram Reels. The idea is brilliant and feels like an inevitable style that some directors would eventually explore. In Sombras Chinas, writer-director Sebaztian Baz uses this format to tell the story of a social media influencer obsessed with capturing her viewers’ attention, who develops a plan to win back her ex-boyfriend. Unfortunately, while the style might be the right fit, Sombras Chinas fails to deliver a story or characters anyone would care about. Regardless of the format, a movie cannot succeed when it lacks intrigue or gives the audience little reason to follow along.
The main character is Candela (Candela Del Zotto), a twenty-something woman living in Argentina who makes a living as a social media influencer, constantly inviting her audience into her life through live streams. Her boyfriend is Ramino (Quimey Herrera), and her best friend is Sol (Sol Echeverria), another influencer with whom she enjoys shopping and getting ready for nights out at the clubs. Along with her popularity comes an odd assortment of followers, including Polaco (Carlos Bennincasa), a cab driver who seems all too eager to help so he can get close to other women, and Horacio (Pablo Alarcon), an elderly neighborhood man who might be stalking her. Being an influencer suddenly doesn’t seem worth all the hassle.
Typing out the premise feels ridiculous enough, but watching Sombras Chinas is equally strange and mind-numbing. Much of the film feels pointless, lacking any real motivation or direction. We see Candela’s vapid nature and her inability to stop seeking approval from others, but the same character traits are repeated throughout the runtime without ever developing into anything meaningful. Perhaps the most preposterous element is the random cab driver she befriends simply to get free rides to the club, despite the painfully obvious fact that Polaco is not someone she should be associating with. All of this makes it even harder to sympathize with Candela as her boyfriend begins cheating on her and her attempts to win him back become desperate acts disguised as confidence.
If there are positives to take away, Baz deserves credit for using the vertical format effectively. If more directors were willing to shoot films this way, it could become an inventive approach to feature-length storytelling. The technique is reminiscent of groundbreaking works such as The Blair Witch Project, [REC], and Paranormal Activity, which found ways to take advantage of the filming technologies of their respective eras and turn them into distinctive narrative styles.
Still, Sombras Chinas never manages to generate drama, thrills, or genuine intrigue, largely because its collection of characters is too thin to inspire any investment. The events unfolding in Candela’s life offer little entertainment, and the film never gives us a compelling reason to keep following her. By the time the story reaches its predictable conclusion, viewers will likely have checked out or started doom-scrolling until it’s all over. Needless to say, Sombras Chinas did not influence me whatsoever. Unfollow.
1 STAR
SOMBRAS CHINAS IS CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR DISTRIBUTION AND IS PLAYING AT VARIOUS FESTIVALS.
Written by: Leo Brady
