Spanish with hardcoded Chinese and English subtitles

El tercero (2014) The Third One
an Argentinian drama written and directed by Rodrigo Guerrero

The old adage "rules are made to be broken" is put to excellent use in this captivating tale of a male threesome that intriguingly re-defines another mantra: share and share alike.

The seventy-minute history of this ménage à trios (featuring camera-friendly Emiliano Dionisi as Fede, the young man searching for his mother's absent love by worming his way into the bed of an eight-year partnership: well portrayed by Carlos Echevarría and Nicolás Armengol) is structured much more like a theatre play than cinema. 

As happens millions of times a day all around the globe, the online flirting, stripping and dares is presented honestly (with several quick cutaways to hard-core porn spicing up Fede's imagination while contemplating entering the dance with his very attentive admirers), but then the tone changes considerably as the young man summons his courage, showing up for a night of wine, food and fornication with virtual strangers.

The script's initial nervousness and awkward moments are ideally executed by the actors even as the wine has its effect and topics move from the comical (the monkey gag is a hoot) to much more serious fare. But of course, there has to be a first move to get the sexual fire lit; once made, it is soon clear that this will be a caring, mutually agreed upon encounter that—and so tastefully shot, making the earlier porn seem more tawdry than ever—is far more about love making than quick-release sex.

The following day opens with an enticing mystery, then a voyeuristic turn in the shower that subtly sets the stage for the sequel.


"I choose to believe that sexuality implies having possible experiences that are complex, deep, and varied. The exploration of such experiences is the right of each and every person, and we cannot question what each one chooses to do during intimacy to feel the pleasure of the consensual encounter between bodies.This project is basically an attempt to give shape to these thoughts that currently cross my mind and to promote sexuality as a space for freedom, and as a space that is specifically human, unique and individual where we can get to know ourselves."