A haunting psychological thriller centered on brotherhood, loss, guilt, and redemption, "Culpable" follows Ángel as he struggles to come to terms with the death of his younger brother, Gabriel. Returning to the remnants of Gabriel’s life, Ángel is drawn into a psychological and emotional odyssey where memories, trauma, and surreal visions begin to merge. As the boundaries between past and present dissolve, he is forced to confront the guilt that has consumed him and the love he was unable to express while his brother was still alive.

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Inspired by "Dante’s Inferno", the film explores its themes through dark symbolism, surreal imagery, and increasingly unsettling environments. The score mirrors this descent into the psychological and the unknown through an electronic-driven sound world that emphasizes the film’s eerie and psychedelic atmosphere.

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At the center of the score is a recurring piano motif representing Ángel. Gabriel is represented by an inversion of the same motif, creating a musical connection between the brothers and reflecting the profound bond between them. As the narrative unfolds, these musical ideas become intertwined with the film’s electronic textures, blurring the distinction between memory, reality, and hallucination.

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I began working on "Culpable" in March 2025, ahead of its initial premiere at the Avon Theatre in May 2025. Throughout its development, the film underwent several cuts and revisions, eventually leading me to substantially rework the score between March and April 2026. The completed film was subsequently submitted to several festivals and selected for the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival.

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I am deeply grateful to director Thomas Madrid for trusting me with the music for this remarkable project. It was an honor to collaborate with such a talented group of artists and to help translate Thomas’s vision into sound. "Culpable" was an especially rewarding experience, allowing me to explore the intersection of electronic sound, psychological storytelling, and musical symbolism while contributing to a deeply personal story about grief, guilt, and the bond between two brothers.