Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘Hurricane Season’ (also known as ‘Temporada de Huracanes’) is a Mexican mystery thriller film directed by Elisa Miller. It is an adaptation of the 2017 novel of the same name by author Fernanda Melchor. Set in the fictional small town of La Matosa, the story revolves around the murder of the Witch, a strange and divisive figure among the local community known for the questionable activities at her parties. When Brando and Luismi, two poor individuals, attempt to escape their lowly life in the town, it sets them on the path of violence and crime. As a result, viewers must be curious to understand the meaning of Brando and Luismi’s actions, their connection to the murder, and the narrative’s overall conclusion. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Hurricane Season Plot Synopsis
‘Hurricane Season’ opens with a group of children discovering a dead body in the river near the town of La Matosa. The word quickly travels around the town, and the dead body is identified as the Witch, who is a divisive figure among the townsfolk. The Witch was disliked by most adults in the town as she organized parties and encouraged teenagers to have sex and drugs. However, some believed her to be a kind and generous person. At the police station, Yesenia, a young girl who lives near the Witch’s house, shares her eyewitness account of the events leading up to the Witch’s death.
Yesenia tells the police about her cousin, Maurilio, aka Luismi, whom she hated as he was her grandmother’s favorite. Luismi is an alcoholic and drug addict who attends the Witch’s parties. One day, Luismi moved in with his mother, Chabela, and her crippled boyfriend, Munra. As a result, Yesenia’s grandmother started disliking her further. Yesenia reveals that on the day the Witch died, she was Luismi, his friend, Brando, and Munra arriving at the Witch’s house and leaving with a parcel 30 minutes later. Yesenia suspects the trio of killing the Witch and dumping her body in the river.
Meanwhile, flashbacks reveal that Luismi met a young girl named Norma, who came into town from outside. Luismi befriended Norma, and she moved in with him. Norma develops a friendship with Chabela, who sympathizes with her. Norma reveals her stepfather raped her and became pregnant. Luismi promises Norma he will find a job and care for the baby. However, Chabela is unconvinced by Luismi’s promises due to his addiction. Therefore, she encourages Norma to abort the baby with the Witch’s help. Norma agrees and receives a potion from the Witch, resulting in an abortion.
Norma continues to bleed after the abortion and ends up in a hospital, where she is revealed to be just thirteen years old. Simultaneously, we learn about Luismi’s friend, Brando, who was abandoned by his father as a child and lives with his mother. Brando is poor and wants to earn quick money. Luismi takes him to the Witch’s party, where he witnesses Lusimi hooking up with the Witch. After watching Luismi signing, Brando becomes attracted to him and has thoughts of having sex with him. Eventually, Luismi and Brando have sex, and the latter tries to convince Luismi to leave the town and start a new life.
Hurricane Season Ending: How Did the Witch Die?
During the movie’s final act, the events leading up to the Witch’s death are detailed as Brando and Luismi deal with complicated feelings and emotions. Luismi, who had a falling out with the Witch, agrees to Brando’s plan of attacking her and stealing her money. The duo’s bid to steal the Witch’s wealth leads them to a fatal encounter with her at the house. Luismi and Brando pay Munra to drive them to the Witch’s house. At the same time, Yesenia was working in the yard and witnessed the trio arriving in a van. At the house, Luismi confronts the Witch about her involvement in Norma’s abortion and the following decline in health. However, Brando only cares about the money.
After she refuses to reveal the money’s location, Brando attacks the Witch and violently kills her. However, as it turns out, the Witch did not have any secret wealth stashed away. Ultimately, Brando’s desire to leave the town leads him on a violent path, and he kills the Witch, seeking her wealth. However, upon learning that there is no money, Brando realizes the consequences of his actions and tries to cover up the crime with Luismi’s help. Brando and Luismi dump the Witch’s body in the nearby canal with Munra’s help and go home. However, they are eventually arrested for the crime, and the final moments imply Brando confesses to the murder. The final moments depict Brando and Luismi reuniting in jail, sharing an embrace.
Why Did Brando and Luismi Kill the Witch?
Earlier in the story, it is established that the townsfolk believe the Witch is extremely wealthy. There is a myth about the Witch hiding a well of vast riches in her house and using it to throw parties and convince men to give her sexual favors. Eventually, Brando becomes sick of his lowly life and tries to convince Luismi to leave with him. He suggests they steal the Witch’s money to start a new life in Cancun. Previously, the Witch and Luismi had a falling out after Luismi lost the money the Witch had loaned him. Unbeknownst to Luismi, the money was actually stolen from him by Brando. However, when Norma’s abortion lands her in the hospital, Lusimi believes it to be the Witch’s doing to get back at him for losing the money. A distraught Luismi agrees to the Witch’s plan and decides to steal her money while also confronting her about using Norma’s abortion to harm her.
Ultimately, it is safe to say that Luismi was motivated by his affection for Norma, which led to his altercation with the Witch. Nonetheless, Luismi did not seem to have any intention of harming or killing the Witch. However, Brando’s motivations are much more complicated. Brando grew up in a homophobic environment and struggled to deal with his romantic feelings and attraction to Luismi. He likely sees Luismi’s friendship with the Witch as a threat to their potential romance. Furthermore, Brando also wants to escape his poverty and sees the Witch’s fabled treasure as the means to escape his impoverished lifestyle. On the other hand, the Witch is simply an outcast who possesses no magical powers or secret wealth. Thus, it is safe to say that Brando and Luismi give in to the local misconceptions about the Witch, leading to her death at their hands.
What Happens to Brando and Luismi?
Brando and Lusimi are imprisoned for their involvement in the Witch’s murder. Furthermore, Luismi’s appearance strongly suggests that the police beat him up in search of answers. Brando and Luismi’s quest to escape the lifestyle of their town and their cynical attitudes land them in jail. A recurring theme of the movie is Luismi and Brando’s desire and eventual inability to escape the town’s lifestyle. Their only reprieve is the drugs and sex offered at the Witch’s party. However, when Luismi and Brando try to take their fates into their own hands, they cause more damage. In the final scene, we see a burning pit, which seemingly represents the inescapable circumstances of the life Brando and Luismi were thrust into. However, through their actions, Brando and Luismi end up in a much worse place than they started. Thus, the film ends in a tragedy for Brando and Luismi as their dreams are squashed by their violent actions.
Throughout the film, we see Brando dealing with his repressed homosexuality, particularly when it comes to his feelings for Lusimi. In contrast, the Witch is a beacon of openly accepting one’s sexuality, as is often seen through her parties. Therefore, the final hug between Brando and Lusimi can be interpreted as Brando coming to terms with his sexuality. His actions may have been informed by his inability to accept his suppressed sexuality. However, he eventually does so through the violent and tragic experience of killing the Witch, realizing the lengths he was pushing himself to. Thus, the movie ends with Brando accepting his sexuality. The same is evident through the homophobic comments hurled at him by other prisoners as Brando embraces Luismi.
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