Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) is a 2025 American drama film, written and directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas, in his directorial debut. It stars Juan Collado, Destiny Checho, Yohanna Florentino and Nathaly Navarro. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2025.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of reviews are positive. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Winner of the NEXT Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast

Rico’s summer is a wild mix of chasing girls and hustling homemade cocktails out of a cooler on Orchard Beach, the Bronx. But when Destiny, his teenage girlfriend, crashes at his place with his family, it’s only a matter of time before his rowdy, carefree days come spiraling down.

Using his hometown as a canvas, writer-director Joel Alfonso Vargas immerses us in the beating heart of his lively Dominican American community, collaborating with street-cast actors to bring authenticity and fresh humor to his engrossing debut feature. A blend of improvisation and whip-smart dialogue shape this slice-of-life portrait into an unapologetic look at the bittersweetness of growing up quickly when life takes an unexpected turn. Juan Collado balances portraying Rico’s charm and fumbling swagger with nuance and compassion, complementing Destiny Checo’s wistful gumption, as the young lovers find themselves in over their heads while playing house.

Website:

https://joelalfonsovargas.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/joelalfonsovargas/

"The Vital Women of Washington Heights Living in Dutchess County" is brought to you by MHA of Dutchess County and Produced by CMJW Entertainment.

MHA of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

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This episode is proudly sponsored by:

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• (00:00:00) - The Vital Women of Washington Heights
• (00:01:21) - Vegetarians and the Vital Women of Washington Heights
• (00:02:07) - Joey's Success Story
• (00:05:53) - Tom Holland in 'The Big Idea'
• (00:07:36) - "I Had A 16-Year-Old Daughter"
• (00:09:31) - Mad Bills to Pay
• (00:10:50) - Green Book on 'The Bronx'
• (00:13:06) - Mortuary Beach in the Bronx
• (00:15:36) - The Dysfunction of a Family
• (00:17:43) - The Hustle in '
• (00:20:49) - Demi Moore on '
• (00:21:12) - Talking About The Selection Of Stars
• (00:21:53) - How They Were Cast In '
• (00:24:54) - How To Write a Scriptment For 100
• (00:26:56) - What's The Most Challenging Part About Making 'The Dark
• (00:28:20) - How To Filmmaking In NYC
• (00:29:30) - "The 100"
• (00:32:38) - Mad Goes to Pay in Spanish
• (00:36:17) - The Film's World Premiere
• (00:40:08) - Destiny Dealer In The Film