Mario

Two young gay football players are drawn into a tense collision between the sport they love and the relationships that define them. Mario Lüthi and his teammate Leon Saldo chase a shot at professional success while navigating the expectations of coaches, teammates, and a culture that prizes conformity. As their friendship blossoms into something more, they must weigh the costs of visibility against the desire to be true to themselves. The film moves at a measured pace, letting quiet conversations, shared glances, and small failures reveal how pressure can distort team dynamics and private trust. Set against locker rooms, training grounds, and stadiums, the story stays focused on personal choices rather than sensational twists that stay grounded in reality always.

Directed by Marcel Gisler and released in 2018, Mario is based on an original screenplay by Frederic Moriette and Thomas Hess. The film stars Max Hubacher as Mario Lüthi and Aaron Altaras as Leon Saldo, with a tight, intimate tone.

Box office data for Mario are not widely reported, reflecting its festival driven release. The Swiss drama circulated mainly through film festivals and selective international screenings rather than a wide commercial release, gaining appreciation from critics and audiences seeking storytelling.

The film has been discussed for its candid treatment of LGBTQ identities within professional sports. By presenting romance alongside the pressures of competition, it contributes to conversations about visibility and acceptance in European cinema and sports culture, challenging stale stereotypes and inviting empathy for players off the field in public.

Critics praised the performances and the restrained treatment of romance under pressure. The movie centers on identity, loyalty, and the friction between personal life and the demands of a sport and its institutions, offering a quiet but powerful meditation on how love can collide with rules, reputations, and ambition today.