It’s easy enough as we sit in our comfortable houses to remain blissfully unaware of the vast underworlds that exist all around us, populated with people just trying to survive and therefore ripe for exploitation. It is one of these worlds that we meet Veneno (Victor Prieto Simental), a young man of barely 20 who is on the run from something mysterious and using his body to get truck drivers to aid in his flight. Straight, middle-aged Muñeco (Osvaldo Sanchez) has no interest in sex, at least not with Veneno, but when he is offered cocaine instead, he agrees to let him tag along.

It turns out that in leaving wherever he came from, Veneno absconded with a large quantity of the drug, hoping to sell it for cash. Muñeco correctly points out that in Mexico, that sort of behavior could get you targeted by a cartel, but then offers that he has a lot of trustworthy friends along the nation’s highways and could help him offload it in exchange for a cut, and so their partnership is extended for a while.

As they gradually reveal bits about their lives, the two begin to grow closer, with Muñeco growing far fonder of his new traveling companion than he thought possible. But Veneno’s past has him in the crosshairs of some very dangerous people and with every passing day and mile, it only grows closer.

In August the film was announced as Mexico’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards, though given the content I have strong doubts that it will make it in. Which is a shame, as it is a tragic but moving look at a world that few of us even knew existed. It’s eye-opening to see the extent to which prostitution and drug use run rampant through Mexico’s long-haul trucking community. Most of us probably assumed they were there but not how much, and given how demanding the job is no matter where you are in the world, many of us may feel a little more apprehensive as we pass a big rig truck, imagining just how pushed to the limit the driver may be.

It’s also a unique look at the gay experience in a country and subculture that prizes masculinity and where homophobia can run rampant, creating an environment that forces some into the closet and leaves others particularly vulnerable to predators. There is very little genuine joy in the world around these two men—though there are pockets of kindness—and so it’s touching to see them tentatively find it with each other. Even if we know it can’t last.

Writer / director David Pablos (Dance of the 41) and cinematographer Ximena Amann (Sujo) capture every bit of beauty that can be found in their environment and people. Desert vistas look stunning and even run down truck stops take on a certain appeal in Amann’s lens, but it’s Simental and Sanchez that are captured most lovingly. The two share remarkable chemistry and the simmering tension between them is keenly felt. Both give subtle yet memorable performances, with Simental—previously an electrochemical engineer—proving one of the bigger discoveries in recent memory.

Movies can expose us to new worlds in a way that few other mediums can and On the Road certainly delivers on that front. I’m not sure if it isn’t a bit more graphic than it strictly needs to be, and the striking visuals—especially in the flashbacks and fantasies—are stronger than the somewhat predictable story, but the film’s emotional impact can’t be denied as we watch a pair of troubled but ultimately decent men forced into circumstances that lead to impossible choices. By the end, their pain becomes all of ours. ★★★★

Not Rated. Contains bloody violence, gore, graphic nudity, strong sexual content, strong language throughout, thematic content including self-harm, and drug use.