Dante (2026) – Review and Summary | Tribeca Film Festival

What was supposed to be just another run for a young EMT becomes a life-or-death situation for multiple people, making for a night that won’t soon be forgotten.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Dante” Film Details

Movie Summary

It seemed like it was going to be like any other night for Eduardo as an EMT. Getting a call to pick up people, do some basic medical procedures to keep them alive, and hand them off to doctors at the hospital.

This night is different. He is sent to the home of Mario, a gangster, who just got into a car accident, refuses to go to the hospital, and threatens Eduardo’s life if he doesn’t help him. It’s quite a conundrum being threatened by a dying man, but what doesn’t help is he is on the run from people trying to kill him and, when it comes to Santo and Mak, while Mak may not harm a hair on Eduardo’s head, Santo, if he doesn’t get what he wants, would mutilate Eduardo and send him to his mother in a cardboard box.

Leaving poor Eduardo to deal with all of these gangsters seeking this item that seemingly could make or break them all.

Cast and Characters

Eduardo (Chino Darin)

Mak (Ester Expósito) and Eduardo (Chino Darin) – Dante © Gilda Productions
  • Character Summary: Eduardo is an EMT by trade, who mainly does the job to make ends meet. This is not the dream he had as a kid.

Mario (Enrique Arce)

Mario (Enrique Arce) – Dante © Gilda Productions
  • Character Summary: Mario is the brother of a notorious gangster named Chemi, who is in deep trouble after a deal with Santo goes wrong.

Santo (Vicente Romero)

Santo (Vicente Romero) – Dante © Gilda Productions
  • Character Summary: Santo is a crazy gangster, probably second only to Chemi, who is trying to make it big, and with a deal he made with Mario, he thought he had the ultimate score.

Mak (Ester Expósito)

  • Character Summary: Mak is Santo’s cousin, who isn’t as crazy or a killer like Santo. However, it is clear she is comfortable in the underworld – to a point.

Chemi (Asier Etxeandia)

Chemi (Asier Etxeandia) – Dante © Gilda Productions
  • Character Summary: Chemi is the head of a criminal organization that is hardcore when it comes to respect and loyalty. Which makes every move Santo makes a far too loud death wish.

Santo Jr (Noah Ruiz Moret)

  • Character Summary: Santo Jr. is Santo’s son, who is a monster in the making.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

You Get Invested In The Story & Characters [84/100]

Whether you’re talking about Eduardo, Mario, his brother Chemi, Mak, Santo, or even Santo’s son, no character in this film feels like they don’t have a purpose. They each play a role in establishing how serious things are, the threat to Eduardo’s life, how Mak is just as much a perpetrator as she is a victim, or how psychopathic Chemi, Santo, or Santo Jr. are.

But, I should note, they also have that special something. Mario, for the time we spend with him, feels like a lovable gangster. Someone you want to conspire with Eduardo to figure out a way out of the situation.

Heck, even Santo Jr., who doesn’t play a huge role in the film, his look, the performance, it makes you think, as the film comes to an end, he is going to be Dante. He is going to put anyone and everyone who crossed his father through the nine circles of hell.

Truly, unquestionably, this is one of the few films, hell productions, which barely wastes screen time on characters who don’t bring it. For whether you have a small role like Santo Jr. or one like Eduardo, you are fully engaged regarding what they say or will do next, and the unpredictability may not be massive, but none of it seems to be done for the sake of sensationalism. It is brilliantly balanced between what can be in service to the story while maintaining what makes any character you could name great.

On The Fence

The Ending Monologue [76/100]

Let us be clear, the ending, story-wise, is good. The problem is, after getting to understand why the movie is named Dante, you get an excessively long monologue. The type that goes on and on, like a villain explaining his plan in a Bond movie. It felt unnecessary and gratuitous – to the point that, honestly, when this goes for a theatrical release, I feel like it would be best to cut all the exposition. With that, this whole section “On The Fence” could be cut.

Overall

Our Rating (80/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)

With an ending that could easily be fixed, Dante could easily become one of the best films to premiere out of the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival. It has drama, action, a touch of comedy, a slew of actors who all have lead actor qualities, and violence, which will keep you actively engaged.

Hence, the positive label. Truly, the only bad thing about this film is the monologue at the end, and if it were cut, there would be barely anything to complain about.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.