Second Star on the Right

By: Sam Frost

Second Star on the Right jumps into the life of Emilia (Silvia Varón) and her three best friends Clara (Tatiana Rentería), Dana (Lorena Castellanos) and Angélica (Alejandra Lara). The film portrays these women in very different stages of life and follows them as they fight and learn and grow. Second Star on the Right is as much a film about the complexities of friendship as it is one that allows women to be messy.

Emilia is the artist of the group. She doesn’t have a steady job, a husband or any kids. She’s bisexual and dating Mariana (Diana Wisewell), who she refuses to label her as her girlfriend. This movie takes a look into the life of a struggling woman and let’s her just be careless, wild and unreliable when she needs to be without feeling shame and it watches as she pieces herself back together. From being hungover to getting her bike stolen to losing her job, Emilia is really shown going through it. Her friends are worried about her, but they aren’t very gentle

Most of the time, even though her friends want to be supportive, Emilia is forced to fend for herself and keep her head high while feeling like she’s drowning. The film follows her through weekly brunches with her friends, to late nights and early mornings with Mariana, through parties and drunken mistakes and it never hides the messiness. Being able to see Emilia in her most vulnerable states creates a special kind of rawness.

Second Star on the Right is mostly in black and white with a few exceptions. Color comes out during the party scenes. It’s as if this is when the women come most alive. The film jumps around a lot and the time that has passed isn’t always the clearest, but that seems beside the point. This story is about friendship and love and each moment included feels necessary.

Director Ruth Caudeli has a knack for knowing which moments to choose to include and creates a flowing narrative out of what could have sometimes felt like clunky scenes. Emilia’s persistent state of drunkenness allows for some jumping around and gives the film a more “focus on the moment” feel.

Varón’s performance is unquestionably good. Her character feels both relatable and far-fetched, making it easy for viewers to feel as if they’ve been there, struggling too, but wouldn’t sink to her level. Watching someone else fall and climb back up and fall again just to climb up again is comforting and Varón’s character makes it feel like everything will be okay even in the darkest moments.

Second Star on the Right tackles fighting, second chances and finding your own way. It’s about being lonely when you’re far from alone. Emilia and her friends are as rebellious as they are traditional and their story is both touching and blunt. Don’t sleep on this one!