Absurdist, charming 'Problemista' reflects 'SNL' alum Julio Torres in story and style

To be inventive takes more than just being creative. Of course, you have to be creative to make something never before seen but also be curious, observant and, ultimately, fearless.

You have to wonder what the world needs, notice that it’s missing and take a leap that you could be the one to make it. While this is true for careers like toy making and painting, it is also true for film production. And in the case of “Problemista,” what is missing is Julio Torres’ specific view of the world.

There have been many mainstream movies of late taking on the anxiety and impact of being an immigrant in the United States. At first glance, Torres’ debut film seems like a quirky, millennial visual feast about a desperate El Salvadorian and a maniac artist.

But beyond the sensually painted egg portraits and Antoni Gaudi-inspired dream houses, "Problemista" is a film about who gets left behind and how people deal with that.

What happens in 'Problemista'

Alejandro Martinez (played as a young man by Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel but primarily by Torres) is a boy who grows up with a protective mother (Catalina Saavedra) in an imaginary version of El Salvador where nothing goes wrong for Alejandro. One day while playing, he wanders through a cave, lured in by a pair of glowing red eyes.

On the other side of the cave is a modern-day New York City where Alejandro lives as a struggling toymaker. He dreams of working at Hasbro designing toys, such as a slinky that never goes down the stairs or Cabbage Patch Dolls with smartphones depicting their intimate lives — pieces that will feel familiar for fans of Torres’ 2019 comedy special “My Favorite Shapes.”

In the meantime, to remain in the country, Alejandro must find someone to sponsor his visa. Through watching over her husband’s cryo-frozen body, Alejandro meets Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), who is a firestorm of insults, demands and eccentricities. Despite her Karen-like tendencies, like yelling at the waiter because there are walnuts in a salad listed on the menu or insisting the non-stopping tram stops, she agrees to sponsor him under one condition: he has to put on her late husband’s final art show called Thirteen Eggs, named after the 13 paintings of eggs he left her.

All set to the motif of an hourglass slowly sifting through sand representing his dwindling time left in the United States, Alejandro battles the New York art world, U.S. immigration hoops and remains patiently on Elizabeth’s good side as she proves to be the most difficult woman to possibly ever exist.

It's easy to get caught up in 'Problemista'

It’s easy to get caught up in the oddities of “Problemista.” Torres’ abnormal sense of humor is all over the film he wrote, directs and stars in (he's an alum of "Saturday Night Live.") And Swinton steps into the erratic and surrealist form of Elizabeth in striking fashion.

But beyond the humanized Craigslist cloud is a visionary story about not wanting to be left behind and how we use our time on Earth. Grief over losing a loved one, no longer being able to protect your child or having your dreams not taken seriously can put you in unthinkably obscure positions.

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to find a creative partner who sees the world the way you do, the connection between Elizabeth and Alejandro will hit you joyfully and achingly.

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'Problemista' 4 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Julio Torres.

Cast: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, Isabella Rossellini, Greta Lee.

Rating: R for some language and sexual content.

How to Watch: In theaters Friday, March 15

Reach the reporter at aluberto@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @amandaluberto.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Problemista' review: Tilda Swinton shines in Julio Torres film