Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Road trip with laughs and tears; drinking, drugs, cursing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
4 Latas
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
As 4 LATAS begins, Tocho (Hovik Keuchkerian), a rough, alcohol-infused citizen of Bilboa, Spain, receives a letter telling him that Joseba (Enrico San Francisco), an old friend, is dying in Timbuktu. Deeply touched and nostalgic, Tocho travels to France where he enlists another old friend, Jean Pierre (Jean Reno), the owner of a vineyard, to join him on a trip to say goodbye to their beloved Joseba. Jean Pierre somewhat tentatively agrees, and the two men next visit Joseba's estranged daughter Ely (Susana Abaitua) to ask her to join them. To their amazement, Ely reveals that the old 1982 Renault that the three friends once drove across the Sahara Desert has been carefully preserved in her garage. She accepts their offer, if they'll drive in the Renault from Spain to Timbuktu once again. With fond memories of their youthful adventures, Jean Pierre and Tocho agree to recreate the journey with Ely in tow. But the men and the car are older now, and times have changed. What was once a caper of unlimited freedom turns out to be a journey fraught with accidents, near-death moments, and encounters with a number of strange and possibly dangerous people who may wish them harm.
Is It Any Good?
Spanish director Gerardo Olivares beautifully integrates laughter and pathos, along with some risky, suspenseful moments, to create a warmhearted, satisfying movie about reconnection and redemption. Working once again with Jean Reno as he did so successfully in the wonderful Brothers of the Wind, Olivares makes the most of the scale and grandeur of the location, in this case, the Sahara Desert. The conflict and threatening events (bandits, border interrogations, a villain from their past) are familiar ones, but the uniqueness of the characters, especially for American audiences, gives the movie its unconventional specialness. 4 Latas is escapist fun with wonderful performances, though tempered by enough heartbreak to give it emotional heft.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how 4 Latas depicts drinking and drug use. Are there consequences for Tocho that are a direct result of his drinking and smoking hashish? Why is that important?
Many stories are about folks who bond to make an atypical kind of family. How do the people in this movie form a unique family? What are the qualities that make families work?
In Spanish, the most common usage of the word latas means cans (tins). What is the significance of the title? Does it relate simply to the car, or perhaps to the characters? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : July 12, 2019
- Cast : Jean Reno , Hovik Keuchkerian , Susana Abaitua
- Director : Gerardo Olivares
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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