Black Worm

Studio: Pulpo
Director: Andres Tabogo
Cast: Lorena Sanchez, Alektra Blue, Mikayla, Van Damage, Justice Young, Tony DeSergio

Portions of this review originally appeared on Fleshbot

There is a black worm, a gusano negro, in the bottom of certain bottles of tequila. “The worm is there to keep things pure,” says small-time crime lord Capo as he explains why an acquaintance must die. “And I am that worm.”

Black Worm is an ambitious project from a new porn company, Pulpo, raised on Telemundo and Robert Rodriguez movies. And Lorena Sanchez out-Hayek’s Salma Hayek.

A caper movie involving hot female bodyguards, switched briefcases, dramatic monologues, and even more Lorena Sanchez, Black Worm is a solid and artful late-nite cable movie that could nevertheless use a little tightening; it has long stretches where no sex happens at all and the story and – sadly – the acting often don’t compensate.

Lorena Sanchez is Carla, the moll of El Capo. El Capo undervalues her, but she has low self esteem anyway. He sends her on a job to seduce El Oso and switch his briefcase full of money with one full of shirts. She does, but she is caught. Then she finds out who her real friends are.

This movie has a lot of heat around it now; it is unlike anything produced in Porn Valley in years. There’s some animation (better than Pirates!), a subtle, effective soundtrack, and Colombian neckties. It also has a bit of whimsy a la Gabriel Garcia Marquez. And Lorena Sanchez.

But these things are counterweighted by a story that is a little dense and a narrative that could take less time than it does; we know that the information is too long in coming out when the cameras start circling the room.

But above all this is Lorena Sanchez. Black Worm rises and falls on her, and she gets the job done.