Writer Adrian Cardenas has completed production on In an Orderly Fashion, his first film as a director, in Miami. Oscar Nuñez, Marlene Forte, Otmara Marrero and Vivian Ruiz star in the film, according to a report published by Deadline on October 21.
The story follows Rafa (Nuñez), a devoted physical therapist who dreams of travelling the world after retirement. However, on the first day of his freedom, he learns that he has a terminal illness. The news sets off a chain of events when he makes an extraordinary request of his wife, Aida (Forte), a nurse he loves deeply. Rafa asks her to end his life, provided he does not know when it will happen. Marrero plays Gabriela, while Ruiz portrays Maria. Deadline has not disclosed how these two characters are connected to Rafa and Aida.
Nuñez is best known for playing accountant Oscar Martinez in The Office. Deadline also lists The Paper among his credits. In In an Orderly Fashion, he takes on the central role of Rafa, whose plans for retirement are upended by his diagnosis.
Forte, who plays Rafa’s wife, Aida, has appeared in The Rookie and Star Trek, according to Deadline. Her credits also include the 2009 film Star Trek, in which she played a transport chief, and the 2019 film Knives Out. On television, she portrayed Carmen Ramos in Dallas from 2012 to 2014.
Marrero’s credits include Florida Man and StartUp, according to Deadline. She plays Gabriela in the new film. Ruiz, whose previous work includes Bloodline and Pain & Gain, portrays Maria.
In a statement, Cardenas said that making the film in his hometown of Miami with Nuñez, Forte, Ruiz and Marrero was “a dream.” He expressed gratitude that the script “resonated with them” and that the actors trusted him to guide them as they “so skillfully navigated the tonal tightrope between dark comedy and drama.”
Cardenas added that the cast’s talent and generosity extended beyond their performances, helping establish the atmosphere on set. He described the result as a production in which the cast and crew “became family in the process.”
The balance between dark comedy and drama appears central to the film’s premise. Rafa’s request introduces a difficult subject, while Cardenas’ description of the project points to an approach that combines emotional weight with darker humour. Further details about the screenplay’s treatment of these elements have not yet been disclosed.
Before moving into filmmaking, Cardenas played Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs, according to Deadline. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him in the first round of the 2006 draft before he was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He made his Cubs debut on May 7, 2012, played 45 games for the team that season and retired at the end of the year.
After leaving professional baseball, Cardenas studied creative writing and philosophy at New York University, where he earned an MFA in 2018. In 2013, he wrote the essay “Why I Quit Major League Baseball” for The New Yorker’s website. He later filmed a 12-minute short in Cuba in 2019, which screened at several film festivals. In an Orderly Fashion marks his first feature as a director.
Maria Altamirano produces the film. The executive producers are Heidi Stolte, Chris Stolte, Sven Voelcker, Ann Lewnes, Daniel Weiser, Sharon Greene, Nuñez and Forte. Tyler Bagley, Barker Carlock and Derrick Nevot serve as co-producers. Nuñez and Forte therefore have executive producer credits in addition to their lead roles.
No release date, distributor or festival plans have been announced. Now that filming has concluded, the project moves into the next stage of production, with further details about its release and distribution still to come.
With an experienced cast, a first-time director whose career began in professional baseball, and a story that brings dark comedy into a dramatic situation, In an Orderly Fashion marks a new chapter in Cardenas’ move into feature filmmaking. The film’s eventual release will give audiences their first opportunity to see how he brings the story to the screen.
