If you haven’t heard of the upcoming rom-com Música, that’s alright. But my gut tells me this is a film that will be very hard to miss following its world premiere at SXSW. The semi-autobiographical project from star, co-writer, choreographer, and composer Rudy Mancuso, already a viral hit from his “Awkward Puppets” Youtube channel, finds him starring alongside Riverdale and Upgraded star Camila Mendes. And she comes with a huge following of her own, who are likely to flock to this heartwarming story of New Jersey creative with synesthesia who faces an uncertain future.
Here’s the official synopsis: Loosely based on his own experiences, Mancuso stars as Rudy, a soon-to-be college graduate and street performer living with his mom (portrayed by his real-life mother, Maria Mancuso) in the Ironbound District of Newark, New Jersey, who experiences synesthesia which manifests as hearing rhythms within quotidian sounds. Already feeling stuck in life – between his seemingly futile passion for music and performing, the long-term relationship with a girlfriend (Reale) who has very different plans for the future than he does, and his mother who puts pressure on him to find and commit to a Brazilian girl as soon as possible – things become more complicated when he meets the enthralling Isabella (Mendes) at his local fish market.
With Música (his debut film), Mancuso crafts a colorful, charming, and laugh-out-loud funny love triangle saga informed by a deep appreciation of his Brazilian culture. Also serving as composer and choreographer, Mancuso embellishes his earnest story with a playful score to creatively convey to viewers the cacophony he constantly hears in his head from commonplace objects. Mancuso and Mendes are a couple in real life as well, adding to their off-the-charts chemistry onscreen.
Also in the cast are Francesca Reale (Stranger Things), J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Rudy’s real-life mama Maria Mancuso.
Following its world premiere at SXSW next month, Música will stream exclusively on Prime Video on April 4th. Something tells me this is Amazon’s further investment in Mendes after Upgraded, which has done very well for them since debuting earlier this month.