Undertow Review

A kind of Peruvian Ghost, this ménage-à-trois drama is low-key, tasteful and quietly compelling. In a beautifully shot, religious coastal village, fisherman Miguel (Cristian Mercado) is caught between his love for his pregnant wife (Tatiana Astengo) and artist lover Santiago (Manolo Cardona). Just when you think this is a rote love-triangle drama, Santiago dies at sea, becoming visible only to Miguel as a ghost, thus allowing them to be together without sacrificing his family. Writer-director Javier Fuentes-León tenderly sketches Miguel’s predicament, Mercado doing a great job as a man in love with two people without being a prick. It doesn’t rush to get anywhere but Undertow takes the stuff of recent EastEnders and turns it into something delicate, romantic and bittersweet.