Dust To Dust

Rodrigo Rodrigo Cachero and Rocco Osvaldo Benavides begin their story at a family birthday party for their grandfather, Rodrigo Carnicero, a man often referred to simply as “El abuelo.” The aging patriarch is vividly brought to life by Xavier Massé. The two cousins bring together two very different temperaments: Rodrigo is a conventional, middle-class teen, while Rocco is more rebellious, a marijuana user who writes for an indie magazine, and he carries simmering tensions with his father, Alejandro Tommasi.

Even with the grandfather’s quiet efforts to keep the peace, the mood at the table turns tense as discussions about the will heat up. Carnicero’s plan for his fortune becomes a flashpoint: money set aside for a longtime friend, a claim that the relatives have no right to anything, and the fate of Rodrigo’s inherited car and the sprawling house that still anchors the family. The tension crescendos when Carnicero suffers a heart attack and dies, leaving the family to confront not only his death but the unsettled terms of his last wishes.

In the wake of the funeral, the family argues over the terms of the will, with competing claims about legitimacy and inheritance. The will also includes a private request that Carnicero’s ashes be scattered into the sea at sunrise in Acapulco, a plan that Luis and his brothers refuse to honor. Disappointed but undeterred, Rocco decides to press ahead with the voyage, and he convinces Rodrigo to join him. Their trip is fueled by budget constraints, and soon the brothers are scrapping for cash as they travel along the autopista, encountering tolls and delays that test their resolve.

A recurring ritual — spinning the funerary urn to “let grandpa choose” — becomes a practical tool for decision-making as they improvise plans to borrow money from Felipe, the restaurant owner Héctor Ortega. The urn’s spins steer them toward Felipe’s place, where they secure a loan, and Rocco notices a striking woman handing out hotel flyers. They rent a room and set out to extend their night’s possibilities.

The conflict between Rodrigo’s desire for a romantic evening with his girlfriend Irina and Rocco’s appetite for mischief intensifies. The urn dictates the course, and Rodrigo leaves with Irina while coaxing a reluctant Rocco to invite the hotel flyer Maria to join them at the disco. Maria, portrayed by Ana de la Reguera, becomes a pivotal figure in the adventures that follow. Rocco, unable to dance, grows bored and, in a moment of impulsive curiosity, samples the ashes — a mistake that leads Rodrigo to the dance floor with the urn, where it is accidentally misplaced.

When the urn is recovered, Rodrigo and Maria retreat to a quiet coffee shop and discover they share surprising similarities and an immediate connection. Their encounter deepens into intimacy, and they spend the night together in the hotel room. Meanwhile, Rodrigo and Irina return to find the room locked and their funds exhausted, forcing them to improvise a late-night encounter in Rodrigo’s car. The plan is interrupted when the police arrive; Rodrigo is briefly detained, and Rocco uses the last of his money to bribe an officer and secure Rodrigo’s release. Morning arrives with the harsh reality of their situation: the urn has disappeared, reduced to corn chips, and the search for the ashes becomes a frantic pursuit.

Back in Mexico City, Carnicero’s sister, Pureza Pilar Ixquic Mata, and Rodrigo Sr. Otto Sirgo rush to Acapulco in an effort to salvage what remains of the mission and the ashes. In the hotel room, Rocco notices a faint灰 powder on the floor and suspects Maria has taken some of the ashes, given she stayed in the room while Rodrigo was dealing with the law. A closer look at Maria’s family background reveals a surprising truth: Maria is Rodrigo Carnicero’s illegitimate daughter, making her the boys’ aunt, and her mother is Perla Gina Morett.

Confronted with this revelation, Maria and Perla decide to put the ashes to rest in a respectful way. They ultimately split the ashes in two — burying half in the family garden and keeping the other half for the boys to scatter at sea. In the emotional aftermath, Rodrigo returns to the car he inherited from his grandfather and, with growing maturity, begins to stand up to his father. Rocco forges a warm friendship with Perla, and a renewed sense of family begins to emerge from the chaos.

As the day draws to a close, the two youths and Pureza hold a final urn-spinning moment to determine whether to scatter the ashes at sunrise or sunset — the choice goes to sunset. Their voyage continues to Acapulco, where a sense of reconciliation unfolds on the dock. Rodrigo Sr. and Pureza watch as Rodrigo Rodrigo Cachero and Rocco Osvaldo Benavides demonstrate personal growth, and a bond forms between the cousins. Maria’s presence adds a complicated but hopeful thread to the story as she and her relatives say their goodbyes to Carnicero and, with the setting sun, cast the ashes into the sea, closing a chapter marked by misadventure, revelation, and tentative forgiveness.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:30