Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dark thriller with violence, language, and nudity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Lost in the Night
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In LOST IN THE NIGHT, Emiliano (Juan Daniel García Treviño), a poor teenager, begins to work at TV star Carmen's (Bárbara Mori) house because he is convinced his activist mother was murdered and buried in their property. In the household, he learns of the family's dysfunctional behavior, including daughter Mónica's (Ester Expósito) obsession with social media, and Carmen's new partner Rigoberto (Fernando Bonilla), a nihilist conceptual artist who will use anything at his disposal to bring his works to life. The film depicts how corruption and abuse allow the super-rich to disregard the lives of the poor, with no one to help make them accountable.
Is It Any Good?
Mexican director Amat Escalante continues subverting and pushing the boundaries of genre, this time by taking a detective film and transforming it into something more akin to satire. In Lost in the Night, Escalante combines elements of an eco-thriller, a class satire, and a dark thriller to show the enormous class divide in Mexico, where the super-rich can get away with murder to satiate economic or even artistic needs.
Juan Daniel García Treviño is quietly commanding as Emiliano, the teenager who enters a world of decadence to discover what happened to his activist mother who disappeared after opposing a giant corporation. His face conveys the pain of feeling powerless in a system where justice only exists for a select few, and the horror of discovering perversity he never imagined before. Strange and mesmerizing, the film has surrealistic notes that add to the overall nightmarish tone. Viewers expecting a traditional thriller might be disappointed by the film's existential musings, but with an open mind, they will be rewarded with Escalante's unique approach to cinema. Few directors are making films this unapologetically bold.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of justice as seen in Lost in the Night. Should justice be different according to social class and economic power?
How does Emiliano show courage and integrity in the film? Do you agree with all his decisions? Why or why not?
What do you think of Rigoberto's view of art? Does an artist have the right to defy ethical codes to create work? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 10, 2024
- Cast : Bárbara Mori , Juan Daniel Garcia Trevino , Ester Expósito
- Director : Amat Escalante
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 120 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 22, 2025
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