Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, Dile que no soy malo)— in English and Spanish, with English subtitles— is a 2025 film written and directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas. Cinema Tropical recently announced its theatrical release via Oscilloscope.
Lisa Wong Macabasco (Vogue) describes, “Rendered with unflinching naturalism, effortless humor, and bracing humanity, the debut feature from writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas—which won a special jury prize for its ensemble cast at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival… captures a New York City borough rarely framed with such tenderness and specificity.”
Description: 19-year-old Dominican American Rico (Juan Collado) figures he’ll ride out the summer selling his homemade “nutcracker” cocktails (rum, vodka, juice) on Orchard Beach and hanging out with his friends. But after his girlfriend, Destiny (Destiny Checo), moves into his family’s already-crowded apartment, the two must face a new, adult reality. Bronx-born debut filmmaker Vargas based MAD BILLS TO PAY on his own experiences, shot the film guerilla-style in 14 days, and cites influences as disparate as John Cassavetes, Pedro Costa, and Andrea Arnold.
Joel Alfonso Vargas (Bio from the director’s page): Joel, a native of The Bronx, New York, draws inspiration from the culture of his Dominican-American community (first encountered in the barbershops and hair salons his family frequented) and from his lifelong love of urban music and art. These early influences sparked a passion for storytelling that eventually led him to filmmaking. Self-taught initially, Joel began experimenting with short films at a young age, often working solo and casting actors via Craigslist. His pursuit of craft later took him to the University of Southern California, the University of the Arts London (as a Fulbright Scholar), and the National Film and Television School, where he focused on writing and directing.
Joel remains rooted in a grassroots filmmaking ethos, favoring street casting and semi-improvised dialogue to preserve the raw intimacy and authenticity that define his voice. His recent work explores the porous boundaries between documentary and fiction, developed through close collaboration with marginalized communities both in front of and behind the camera. His films often grapple with themes of diasporic identity, coming of age, and social, racial, and economic justice — striving always for nuanced, humanizing portrayals of urban life.
Among his honors: Joel is a recipient of the Tribeca Film Institute’s All Access grant and WarnerMedia’s Our Local Is Global initiative, a winner of the Locarno Pardi di Domani Best Direction Award and was named a “New Face of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine. His debut feature, Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo), premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival where it received a Special Jury Award, as well as internationally at the 75th Berlinale.
See the author’s page at Joel Alfonso Vargas.
For more information, see https://filmforum.org/film/mad-bills-to-pay
To watch it, see https://madbillstopay.oscilloscope.net/
Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, Dile que no soy malo)— in English and Spanish, with English subtitles— is a 2025 film written and directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas. Cinema Tropical recently announced its theatrical release via Oscilloscope. Lisa Wong Macabasco (Vogue) describes, “Rendered with unflinching naturalism, effortless humor, and bracing humanity, the debut feature from
