Directed & Written by:Alexis Gambis
Starring Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Alexia Rasmussen, Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez
Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes

by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer

In Son of Monarchs, Mendel (Tenoch Huerta) is a Mexican biologist who is aptly named after the father of genetics. Working in New York City, he seeks to understand why butterflies are so colorful. His fascination with the insects began when Mendel was a child, and his grandmother showed him colors from a butterfly that looked like blood.

At the start of this intriguing drama, Mendel is prompted to return to his hometown of Angangueo, for this grandmother’s funeral. His own parents died in a flood years ago, and Mendel is estranged from his older brother, Simon (Noé Hernández). He reunites with Brisa (Paulina Gaitan), and his friend Vicente (Gabino Rodríguez), and flashes back to moments from their shared childhood. There are funeral rituals and many references to animals, a theme throughout the film.

But Son of Monarchs just as quickly cuts back to New York, and Mendel’s work as well as his budding romance with Sarah (Alexia Rasmussen), a paralegal for Human Rights Watch. Sarah also does circus training, which connect to themes of flight that interest Mendel.

However, writer/director Alexis Gambis scrambles all these ideas—about flight and animals, life and death—into a mélange that is more like a mosaic. If each topic is a different color, it should create a beautiful butterfly. But the narrative here is slight and sometimes muddy. Mendel becomes distant, and Sarah questions him about his detached behavior. He is called back to Mexico to attend his niece’s wedding, which means a possible confrontation with his brother. Mendel is also still haunted by his parents’ untimely death. And he arranges to get a tattoo and procures butterfly ink for the tattooist. 

There is not much dramatic tension in these various plotlines, and viewers may be frustrated by the snippets, even though most of the action is engaging. Gambis does offer some incredible visuals. Yes, there are numerous under-the-microscope closeups of butterflies, but the most wondrous moments are shots such as a reflected body in the iris of someone’s eye, or underwater scenes of Mendel floating. One episode has gorgeous colors appear when Mendel touches a window.

The colors of a butterfly are what allows it to hide or attract others, and Son of Monarchs does dodge and turn as viewers are asked to piece together the various narrative fragments. There is a subplot about a genetic process Mendel is working on with his boss, Bob (William Mapother), that suggests some questionable ethics. And there are some rituals that Mendel participates in that may go over the heads of viewers unfamiliar with Mexican culture. (Though a line about the Day of the Dead and butterflies’ souls is pretty clear). The emphasis on spirit animals is also open to interpretation.

Gambis is dealing with metamorphosis and change, and he may be deliberately obfuscating. His film is slowly paced, but it remains captivating. The filmmaker (who is also a biologist) certainly coaxes an impressive performance out of the expressive Huerta. The actor uses his large frame and body language well to convey Mendel’s internal despair. A scene of him on a trapeze is revealing because Mendel expresses fear. When he howls like an animal, he releases some of his anxiety. A scene late in the film, where he cries, does as well. 

But the film often lacks emotion. There is a fabulist quality to Son of Monarchs, which is fine. The film opens with a discussion of butterflies representing one’s ancestors, and Mendel’s grandmother observes that he is like an old soul. There are also some terrific scenes of butterflies swarming, or characters’ faces being covered by the insects. Gambis’ poetic film flits around as well, alternating between realistic and mystical, ultimately leaving viewers dazzled if mystified.