Jonathan Rosado’s Matador Bolero feels like a transmission from another era of filmmaking. Shot on Super 8 and infused with the spirit of exploitation cinema, grindhouse aesthetics, and underground filmmaking traditions, the film embraces a visual language that often prioritizes atmosphere, imagery, and emotion over conventional storytelling expectations.
As audiences continue to rediscover exploitation and genre cinema, Rosado believes that renewed appreciation stems from a desire to reconnect with something many contemporary films struggle to capture.
“I think maybe people just feel like there’s something missing from modern movies that they’re somehow getting fulfillment from in older works,” Rosado explained. “You could boil it down to technical aspects or say screenplays were better or there were more original ideas, but I think there’s also some level of an intangible quality to that era that just feels classic.”
That fascination with older forms of cinema serves as a foundation for Matador Bolero. Drawing from exploitation films, New York grindhouse culture, and the No Wave movement, Rosado embraces a raw filmmaking style that deliberately rejects the polished aesthetic often associated with modern productions.
“The low-budget aesthetic attracted me,” he said. “The way the films were distributed in that era, and the association with New York City through 42nd Street grindhouse culture. I guess the darker side of cinema attracts me.”
That philosophy is immediately apparent in the film’s visual presentation. Rather than relying on contemporary digital filmmaking tools, Rosado photographed Matador Bolero entirely on Super 8 using two vintage cameras: a Nizo S800 from Germany and a French-made Super 8 camera from the 1960s.
“I just wanted to shoot on film,” Rosado said. “I had experience with Super 8, and I didn’t really have the budget for 16mm. It fit both the practical realities of the production and the genre-film aesthetic I was trying to create.”
The result is a visual texture that feels both nostalgic and unsettling, reinforcing the film’s genre roots while helping it stand apart from much of today’s digital filmmaking landscape.
Like many independent productions, however, bringing that vision to life came with its own challenges.
“Budget constraints were definitely the biggest challenge,” Rosado explained. “Getting people to a location at a certain time, only having a few hours at a location, and still needing to complete multiple scenes. Those kinds of things always feel impossible when you’re in the middle of them.”
One of the film’s most memorable visual choices comes through the appearance of one of its detectives, whose distinctive headscarf immediately stands out. While Rosado says there was no singular inspiration behind the look, he traces its origins back to interests that have followed him since childhood.
“I’m fascinated by circus imagery and performers like trapeze artists,” he said. “I was also obsessed with magic as a child. My first dream was to become a magician. Maybe those influences somehow merged together subconsciously.”
That emphasis on imagery over exposition extends throughout Matador Bolero. Rather than relying heavily on dialogue, Rosado frequently communicates through visual composition, atmosphere, sound design, and music.
For Rosado, genre cinema provides a unique opportunity to experiment with form and storytelling in ways that more conventional films often cannot.
“I think there are a lot of preconceived notions about what a film is supposed to be right now,” he said. “Those ideas are mostly founded in commercial success, and that becomes the full scope of what people think movies can be.”
Instead, Rosado views cinema as a medium capable of communicating emotion through far more than plot alone, an approach that becomes one of the defining elements of Matador Bolero.
“I tend to bring more emotion into the movie through visual elements, sonic elements, the score, and conceptual dialogue rather than exposition that simply moves the story forward.”
That philosophy is perhaps most evident in the film’s score, which serves as one of Matador Bolero’s defining creative elements. Drawing inspiration from synthesizer-driven soundtracks of the 1970s, Rosado looked toward films such as A Clockwork Orange and Suspiria while also drawing influence from artists like Tangerine Dream and Mike Oldfield.
“I felt like it fit the more occult imagery to mix that with a darker, more sinister synthesizer-based score,” he said.
The music was created in collaboration with producer and longtime creative partner Nicolette Wilkie, continuing a partnership that has become an integral part of Rosado’s filmmaking process.
While viewers may naturally connect Matador Bolero to exploitation cinema, Rosado notes that many of his influences operate less as direct references and more as subconscious inspirations. During production, he frequently revisited the work of Michelangelo Antonioni, particularly Blow-Up, The Passenger, and L’Avventura.
“His visual style definitely played a role,” Rosado said. “Even if he’s maybe not the most experimental filmmaker, I think his influence is there.”
Taken together, those influences help shape Matador Bolero into something that feels both familiar and distinct. While the film draws inspiration from exploitation cinema and underground filmmaking traditions, Rosado’s focus remains on visual expression, atmosphere, and emotional resonance while still operating within the traditions of B-movie filmmaking.
As he looks beyond Matador Bolero, Rosado already has his next project in development.
“I definitely have another project,” he said. “I have it thought up in my head and mostly written out. I just need to find the funding to do so.”
If Matador Bolero is any indication, audiences can expect Rosado to continue exploring cinema’s stranger and more unconventional corners, creating films that prioritize imagery, atmosphere, and artistic expression over convention.