Motorcycle messenger Mancha lives the good life, enjoying the camaraderie of his workmates as they carouse around the streets of San José, Costa Rica, and hookups with his girlfriend, Clara. That is, until a sudden and massive layoff at the motorcycle company ends the party, and Clara announces she is moving to Isla Caballo, where motorbikes are not permitted. Faced with the reality of losing his job and his love, Mancha will have to reach deep within to lead his motley group of misfits, dodging usual and unusual obstacles, to find a way to triumph without even holding any cards.

It’s been five years since writer-director Neto Villalobos debuted his unique and wry comic sensibility in his Miami Film Festival-supported All About the Feathers. The wait has been worth it: a quirky comedy that mines new richness out of Villalobos’ questions about friendships, hopes and what constitutes “manliness.” Like its charming heroes, Helmet Heads carves its own deliriously non-conformist path.