Noise
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Noise
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Noise is a fictionalized account of a middle-aged mother's attempt to find her kidnapped daughter, missing for nine months in the midst of a missing person crisis in Mexico. Drug lords and other criminals are thought to be in collusion with government officials, making it difficult to follow up on individual cases. Peaceful protesters are beaten, gassed, and arrested by riot police. It's suggested that many missing people have been raped, sold to human traffickers, and/or murdered. Cocaine use is mentioned. Adults vape. It's implied that high-end drug dealers, among other members of organized crime, are responsible for kidnappings. Language includes "f--k," "s--t," "ass," "hell," and "damn."
What's the Story?
In NOISE, Julia (Julieta Egurrola) is looking for her 20-something daughter Ger, who disappeared nine months before. The authorities aren't helping and even suggest too many mistakes were made in the original investigation to keep looking. Journalist Abril (Teresa Ruiz) tries to help, and the two follow up leads. Things get dangerous as someone warns them they're getting too close and thereby making important people angry. The backdrop is an epidemic of similar missing person cases in Mexico, where drug lords and other criminals are thought to be in collusion with government officials and cover-ups are rampant. Julia is led to believe that Ger might have been kidnapped and sold into sex slavery, giving hope that she can be rescued. When last seen, she was partying with friends and snorting cocaine, so perhaps drugs played a role. Women protest on the streets for help finding loved ones, pointedly accusing the government of obstructing investigations.
Is It Any Good?
Noise builds from the agony of one woman's search for her daughter to mass demonstrations of outrage by others in the same situation. By the time we meet the protagonist Julia, she has reached the end of her patience, well portrayed by Julieta Egurrola. She carries the film with the strength of her outrage and doggedness but at times the story leaves us confused. Although we are at all times searching for Julia's daughter, it's not always clear where we are or how we got there, which allows the film's momentum to flag repeatedly.
The connection between the government and the disappearances is claimed but not explained. Almost all the protesters are women and the movie suggests that certain elements in Mexico are waging a war against women, but as the closing credits roll, pictures of real missing people follow and there are quite a few more men among them than women, arguing against that point.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the agony of searching for a person who may be the victim of foul play. How well does the movie communicate that pain?
What political benefits might there be to government officials helping cover up kidnappings, rapes, and murders? How does the movie suggest that bribery and kickbacks are involved?
Why do you think someone tells Julia that she's making the "wrong" people angry? What does that mean?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: November 9, 2022
- Cast: Julieta Egurrola, Teresa Ruiz
- Director: Nataia Beristain
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 105 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: December 28, 2022
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