Santiago, a young photojournalist in Veracruz, Mexico, risks his life to uncover a shocking truth after taking on the investigation that his journalist friend and mentor Amanda left unfinished when she fell victim to organised crime only a few hours after meeting with him.

Sadly, this film is inspired by events that are all too true. Writer/director J. Xavier Velasco’s home state of Veracruz has been a hotbed for journalist assassinations. According to a 2024 Amnesty International report, at least 141 journalists and other media workers have been killed in Mexico this century, making it the most dangerous country for journalists in the Western Hemisphere.

This tense thriller follows the budding photojournalist as he unravels the details surrounding the assassination and the web of political intrigue that allows the criminals to go unpunished. As he begins to pull the threads of Amanda’s final investigation, our protagonist risks everything, jeopardising his mother and girlfriend, and even his own life, to uncover the truth. Crocodiles takes a gripping ground-level look at the growing concerns surrounding violence against media. It opens up a conversation that journalists hope will spread worldwide.