Wikipedia

Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)

Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) is a 2025 American drama film written and directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas, in his directorial debut. It stars Juan Collado, Destiny Checho, Yohanna Florentino and Nathaly Navarro.

Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoel Alfonso Vargas
Written byJoel Alfonso Vargas
Produced byPaolo Maria Pedullà
Starring
  • Juan Collado
  • Destiny Checho
  • Yohanna Florentino
  • Nathaly Navarro
CinematographyRufai Ajala
Edited byIrfan Van Tuijl
Music byNiklas Sandahl
Production
companies
Distributed byOscilloscope Laboratories
Release dates
  • January 26, 2025 (2025-01-26) (Sundance)
  • April 17, 2026 (2026-04-17) (United States)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish
Box office$67,909[1][2]

It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2025. It was released on April 17, 2026, by Oscilloscope Laboratories.

Premise

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Rico spends his summer selling homemade cocktails on Orchard Beach. When his girlfriend, Destiny, becomes pregnant, she moves in with his family.

Cast

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  • Juan Collado as Rico
  • Destiny Checho as Destiny
  • Yohanna Florentino as Andrea
  • Nathaly Navarro as Sally

Production

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Principal photography took place over the course of 16 days in The Bronx.[3][4]

The film's title is a reference to The Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Everyday Struggle", which also addresses the financial challenges associated with impending fatherhood.[5]

Release

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The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2025, where it won the NEXT Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast.[6][7] It also screened at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2025.[8][9] The film had its New York premiere on April 4, 2025 at the Lincoln Center and screened at the Museum of Modern Art the following day as part of the New Directors/New Films Festival. It also made it to the Meeting Point slate of the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival.[10] In September 2025, Oscilloscope acquired distribution rights to the film.[11] The film was also screened in competition at the 20th Rome Film Festival.[12] It was also screened at the 69th BFI London Film Festival in the First Feature Competition,[13] the American Independents section of the 36th Stockholm International Film Festival,[14] the 26th Fargo Film Festival, where it was awarded an Honorable Mention,[15] and the 12th Manchester Film Festival.[16] It was released on April 17, 2026.[17]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 19 critics' reviews are positive.[18]

Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[19]

References

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  1. ↑ "Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)". The Numbers. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  3. ↑ Keogan, Natalia (January 26, 2025). "100 Scenes in 16 Shooting Days: Joel Alfonso Vargas on Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)". Filmmaker. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  4. ↑ ""Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)" Brings Bronx Hustle and Heart". Sundance Film Festival. January 30, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  5. ↑ "The Notorious B.I.G. – Everyday Struggle Lyrics Meaning". Genius. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  6. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 11, 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  7. ↑ Donnelly, Matt (January 31, 2025). "'Atropia,' 'Twinless' Win Top Sundance 2025 Awards (Full Winners List)". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  8. ↑ Ntim, Zac (January 21, 2025). "Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Richard Linklater, Jessica Chastain, A$AP Rocky & Marion Cotillard Movies Among Vibrant Selection". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Avance de la 70 Seminci: Hermanos Dardenne, Sergei Loznitsa, Bi Gan, Lav Díaz y Mascaro, a por la Espiga de Oro". Europa Press. 24 July 2025.
  11. ↑ Lang, Brent (September 16, 2025). "Oscilloscope Laboratories Buys Sundance Award Winner 'Mad Bills to Pay' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Festa del Cinema di Roma 2025, il programma completo (diretta)" [Rome Film Fest 2025: Full program (live)]. Ciak Magazine (in Italian). 19 September 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)". BFI. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  14. ↑ "Mad Bills to Pay: (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)". Stockholm International Film Festival. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  15. ↑ "FFF26 Official Selections and Category Winners Announced". Fargo Film Festival. 2026-01-09. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  16. ↑ "Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)". Manchester Film Festival.
  17. ↑ Staff, Filmmaker (April 17, 2026). "Exclusive Clip: A Sibling Showdown in Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)". Filmmaker. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Mad Bills to Pay". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Mad Bills to Pay". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
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