Living by progressive values has brought Rocco no luck in love. Heartbroken once again, the filmmaker decides to leave cosmopolitan Berlin and head back to his home city of Saló to see if his childhood best friend Angelo — who boastfully calls himself a “toro” and (seemingly) lives by much more traditional values — has found more success in life, love, and everything in between. While Toro might at first seem like yet another look at toxic masculinity to scratch the surface of issues such as male loneliness and misogyny, the result takes a much welcome sharp turn to paint a loving, heartwarming ode to friendship.

Rafa Sales Ross