The Tropic Sun and His Eyes — Tribeca Review

Elisee Junior St. Preux’s feature directorial debut, The Tropic Sun and His Eyes, is a touching and tender portrait of masculinity and the lingering effects of generational trauma. Ruben (Stevenson Jean) returns to Haiti to visit his estranged father. While traveling on foot, he finds himself followed by a street kid (Blangue Machiny). Ruben eventually strikes a deal with the stubborn yet charming boy: if he can help him find a shortcut, he can tag along on the journey. What follows is more than a physical journey; it is a spiritual one. The film is an unlikely companion road movie reminiscent of Peter Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon (1973), while also serving as a moving exploration of Black masculinity evocative of Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016) and Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow (2025).