Escobar: Paradise Lost

Escobar: Paradise Lost is a thriller written and directed by Andrea Di Stefano. The film stars Josh Hutcherson, Benicio Del Toro, Brady Corbet, Claudia Traisac, and Carlos Bardem. Escobar had its premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival in the Gala Presentations Program.

Nick thinks he has found paradise when he goes to join his brother in Colombia. A turquoise lagoon, an ivory beach, perfect waves – it’s a dream for this young Canadian surfer. Then he meets Maria, a stunning Colombian girl. They fall madly in love, and everything is going great. That is, until Maria introduces Nick to her uncle: Pablo Escobar.

“I think he is the world’s most hated and admired criminal,” Di Stefano explains, “in almost equal measure. Even today in Colombia, people pray for him and think he was a good guy, while a great many others consider him a monster. The fact that he was close to his family seemed an extra area to explore. When you watch THE GODFATHER, the key element resides not in the fact that Marlon Brando and Al Pacino eliminate people, but in what they say to each other when they are at home, sitting around the family table. So I saw the possibility of structuring a story around a character with a dual personality, and the fact this was Pablo Escobar made the subject even more exciting.”

Escobar: Paradise Lost is rated 14A.