An aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. A film by Julio Torres, starring Tilda Swinton, Julio Torres, RZA, Greta Lee, Catalina Saavedra, James Scully, and Isabella Rossellini.

Young Alejandro (Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel) lives with his mother Dolores (Catalina Saavedra) in El Salvador. They spend most of their time together, as Dolores often draws various imaginative creations for her son. Alejandro is Dolores’ greatest project, and she provides him with everything he needs. But Dolores begins to have recurring dreams of Alejandro leaving the safe world she has created. Eventually, her dream becomes a reality when Alejandro grows up and decides to pursue his dream as a toy maker for Hasbro in the United States.

Alejandro (Julio Torres) moves from El Salvador to live in New York, sharing an apartment with two roommates. The real reason for his move to the United States is to apply for Hasbro’s Talent Incubator Program, which apparently only accepts applications from residents within the U.S. (as evidenced by its website’s drop-down list). Alejandro has a lot of bright ideas for toys, such as a Barbie with crossed fingers behind her back and smartphones for Cabbage Patch dolls to display their uniquely complicated lives. Unfortunately, his application is rejected by the toy company.

However, Alejandro doesn’t give up on his dream easily. In order to stay in the United States, he gets a job at FreezeCorp, which gets him a work visa. At FreezeCorp, he is assigned to work with the noname painter, Bobby Asencio (RZA), who exclusively paints eggs. Because Bobby was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1996, he chose to be cryogenically frozen, hoping that he would wake up in the future when he could be cured. One day, Alejandro accidentally trips and unplugs the backup generator, leading to his immediate termination by FreezeCorp.

Bobby’s art critic wife, Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), wants to preserve Bobby’s legacy, and she has been able to do that for a while until she ran out of money to pay for the space to keep his artwork at FreezeCorp. Alejandro offers to help Elizabeth carry Bobby’s paintings back to her car. Alejandro also suggests that Elizabeth doesn’t need to throw anything out since Bobby didn’t leave behind a lot of paintings, she just needs to make a room for them somewhere else. Elizabeth likes Alejandro’s idea, and invites him to her apartment.

Upon learning that Alejandro got laid off and is looking for a new job and a sponsor, Elizabeth offers him a freelance job if he knows how to use FileMaker Pro. Alejandro lies about this skill, in order to secure the job he needs right now. Alejandro later learns that he only has 30 days to find a visa sponsor, otherwise he must leave the US. In addition to finding a co-signer, he must pay application and lawyer fees totaling around $6,000.

Alejandro turns to Craigslist for quick cash jobs, but the sheer volume of listings overwhelms him. He dives into the platform while juggling work for Elizabeth. He initially avoids shady listings, however, as the pressure mounts and he fails to make ends meet, he’s forced to sublet his room and eventually plunges into the darker side of Craigslist for money.

Intrigued by Elizabeth’s proposal to curate an exhibition for Bobby’s paintings, Alejandro suggests they pitch the idea to art galleries. He even proposes the name “Thirteen Eggs,” a detail he recalls from Bobby’s sketchbook. Elizabeth is stunned. This was the very name Bobby had confided in her, the title of his dream solo exhibition. In exchange for Alejandro’s help gathering all 13 egg paintings, curating the show, and selling them to cover Bobby’s bills, Elizabeth promises Alejandro visa and sponsorship.

Written, directed, and produced by Julio Torres, PROBLEMISTA is a delightful whirlwind of quirky humor and a unique take on the American Dream. The filmmaker crafts a story that’s both funny and thought-provoking, it takes the familiar struggles of an immigrant chasing a dream in New York City, and infuses it with a healthy dose of the absurd and fantastical.

Tilda Swinton is magnificent as ever, embodying a flamboyant and eccentric art critic with an unpredictable, wrathful temper. Incredibly, she maintains a thread of comic absurdity throughout the film. Greta Lee, as the supporting character Dalia, also adds another layer to the story.

PROBLEMISTA premiered at SXSW on 14 March 2023. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 1 March 2024 before expanding nationwide on 22 March, by A24.