La Zona poster & wallpaper

Andrés Montiel, Carlos Bardem, Daniel Gimenez Cacho

A teenager living inside an isolated residential "Zone" guarded by private security finds himself protecting a boy accused of murder from his vigilante father and neighbors. Nevertheless, the boy is c...( read more  read more... )aught and lynched. In the end, the teenager leaves the safety of the Zone to ensure the boy is properly buried, only to discover the devastating poverty that lies just beyond his walls, and vows to never return to the Zone.

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74% liked it

2,167 ratings

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Rodrigo Plá

Release Date: November 9, 2007

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DVD Release Date: May 12, 2009

Stats: 283 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (283)

  • 76Majikat
    November 13, 2009
    76Majikat
    It?s easy to get a little lost in the storyline early on here, the acting is of a good standard, but have to admit that I found odd moments boring at times, however the last 15 minutes or so totally make this film and has a very hard impact that insists you take notice.
  • mistershinobi
    March 31, 2008
    mistershinobi
    It's a little bit unrealistic and kind of stiff at some points but the plot was unrealistic enough to warn the audiences this wasn't a very serious movie with a very strong critic towards something.

    But even if this isn't the masterpiece some of us expected, it's still a wonderf...( read more)ul, exciting and extremely entertaining thriller with amazing cinematography (what can we expect from a mexican movie if it isn't beautiful cinematography?) and a fast-paced screenplay, along with a poweful ending.

    It's nice to see a mexican movie that doesn't deal with crime and poverty in the same way most of the 90s mexican movies did. Instead of dividing the movie between "rich" and "poor" (because the characters do that themselves), the director divides everything between "right" and "wrong" and works with ethics and morality providing us with flawed characters that, when scared, are unable to control their instincts and lose their humanity.

    The movie tells the story of three thieves that enter a prestigious "forbidden city" where the rich and privileged live surrounded by a wall (The Zone) and, when attempting to mug her, kill an old lady, starting a manhunt where two of them die. The remaining kid (Alan Chavez, in one of two extraordinary performances this year, double-nominated for an Ariel) hides in a boy's basement, where he develops a small relationship with him by realizing they're not different from each other. Unfortunately, the "Board" of neighbors will do ANYTHING to chase down the remaining boy and "make justice".

    The best of the entire movie is definitely the ensamble cast that includes the elite of "good actors" in mexican cinema instead of just an "all star" cast of "hotties". From Daniel Gimenez Cacho (one of the best mexican actors ever) to classic old foxes like Blanca Guerra and newcomers like Daniel Tovar, Alan Chavez and Marina de Tavira, including underrated actors like Andres Montiel, Mario Zaragoza and Enrique Arreola, the cast is strong enough to portray a "mini-government", sort of Big-Brother-ish, that won't stop until "their security is total". The metaphor towards the ultimate "Zone" (USA) is subtle but acid.

    Don't miss this for anything in the world. A little bit over-exaggerated but exciting enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.
  • flickfever
    March 24, 2008
    flickfever
    This film was an excellent selection playing at this year's San Diego Latino Film Festival. I doubt if it will receive any sort of promotion or theatrical release in America, but it should.

    This is the story of a blocked-off community in the heart of Mexico City. The gated neig...( read more)hborhood is called La Zona and it is a sole entity in the eyes of the city. The residents of this zone have made a pact with the city to be left alone and live in peace. They abide by their own rules and have their own committee which mimics a sort of small-scale government.

    However, one night--a breach in security allows for three outsiders to intrude the zone and a manhunt is soon in place to find the men who pose a threat to the safety and security of their idealistic village.

    The film is magnificent in its message and social commentary. The performances of every member of the cast were brilliant and brought such gravitas to a project that had potential based on its story; but really needed good actors to carry it through.

    The film relies on world-events to make its point loud and clear. It evokes a plethora of emotions in the audience and makes for a really entertaining time--plus it brings a refreshing look at the way we see one another in the world--whether its people living across the street or across an ocean.
  • dfwforeignbuff
    November 24, 2009
    dfwforeignbuff
    La Zona 2007 The Zone. Occasionally a good film will make its way out of Mexico La Zona is one of those films, a fascinating examination at just how far some people will go to maintain their status and their way of life. La Zona is a movie about class differences, corruption, a...( read more)nd the greed that resides within all of us. Life is cheap and safety is expensive in this startling fable about haves and have-nots in modern day Mexico. La Zona is a clever thriller in the tradition of Hidden and Lord of the Flies. In Mexico City, a wealthy compound is surrounded by walls and surveillance system to protect the locals against the violence of the slums. Calling this a "gated community" is not entirely accurate. It looks more like a fortress with massive metal gates protecting the rich homeowners from the riff raff outside. During a stormy night, a billboard falls over the wall and three smalltime thieves cross the border through the breach to rob. They break into a house and kill an old lady; the residents organize militias to chase the delinquents. Two of them and one security guard are murdered by the vigilantes, but the sixteen year old Miguel hides in the basement of the teenager Alejandro. When Alejandro finds Miguel, he feeds and helps the boy. Sixteen-year-old Alejandro (Tovar) is shaken by the killings and uncomfortable with the vigilante intensity of dad Daniel (Cacho) and the other residents. They agree to handle things on their own at a community meeting, but then begin to turn on each other when it's suspected a resident tipped off the outside police. Meanwhile, Alejandro discovers Miguel in the basement, and, while initially wary, he realizes the pathetic, frightened kid needs to get out of La Zona if he's to remain alive. Twisted values and fear-driven Mob madness form the core of this film. It is an impressive feature debut that shows us the horrors of vigilante justice, doing more than putting the haves against the have-nots. This film tackles issues of privilege, responsibility and group mentality in many ways. The film finishes with a punch. Santullo's script write writes not showing us anything in strictly black-and-white terms. She doesn't downplay the burglars' criminal intentions. She gives us a background for Daniel's reasons for seeking justice outside official channels; She makes him a more three-dimensional figure. But message is clear: The residents of La Zona think their wealth sets them apart from everyone else, giving them special consideration and even power over life and death. The film poses a number of interesting questions regarding taking the law into your own hands, with regards to segregation, paranoia and insularity, rich versus poor, good versus bad, and it's not a bit subtle about it. Actor's performances are strong; Even stronger is Antonio Munohierro's perfect art direction. Whether designing a verdant golf course in full view of desperate slums or the sewers of his overly natural-perfect community-- the art direction becomes as important as the action as the characters themselves. Production values are top-notch. The issues that Pla tackles in the film almost feel like allegory, and the inherent social commentary within the film is great. It's not deep or difficult to find; it's simply handled in a raw manner that feels fresh. A sharp social satire, the film shows us a disturbingly close up view of the reality of segregated communities in many parts of South America. (And America) La Zona refuses to let the audience off the hook with easy resolutions, however. The film neither demonizes nor makes excuses for the intruders, and harshly condemns the justice system both within and outside La Zona. Even the â??good cop," resorts to thuggish behavior. With rolling blackouts and a mood of increasing paranoia, La Zona echoes the classic "Twilight Zone" episode "The Monsters- Maple Street," which put suburban neighbors at each others throats. La Zona takes place in a similar ethical twilight. he movie is definitely worth viewing. A big hit at box office throughout Latin America, "La Zona" found good acceptance in theaters north of the border. The film?won best first feature at the Venice Film Festival 2007. The film has been criticized of relying on implausibility, stupid-inconsistent characters & convenient movie thriller conventions and that these detracted from any wider morally instructive points the film might have had. I disagree It's a movie I am willing to suspend my belief to get the film makers intent. It is rare to have this good of a film from our neighbor to the south. It's one of the most accomplished feature debuts I have seen in many years. 4 stars
  • leisaleon2
    November 1, 2009
    leisaleon2
    Es cruel, y además dicen demasiado "vamonos a la chingada"! WTF?! Hace conciencia de lo irracional que pueden llegar a ser los seres humanos cuando tienen miedo o se sienten con mucho poder.
  • Liesebieke
    October 29, 2009
    Liesebieke
    Real great drama situated in Mexico showing the huge difference between the very poor and the very rich. How terrible it is to see that a poor child is blamed for a murder it didn't commit, but since it is poor there is not even a consideration that it could be misjudged. Only on...( read more)e (rich) person knows the truth...
    A must see!
  • RThornhill
    September 18, 2009
    RThornhill
    recommended by mistershinobi.
  • jxxx84
    August 30, 2009
    jxxx84
    Fucking strange and not even good
  • LeDorlis
    May 28, 2009
    LeDorlis
    Ce film aurait dû sortir au cinema plutôt qu'en DVD directement. Il est vraiment super mais sa conclusion est tellement frustrante, pas dans le sens où elle laisse le spectateur sur sa faim mais parce qu'elle est très réaliste et pessimiste. Je vais pas en dire trop mais ce film ...( read more)nous montre tel que nous sommes lorsqu'on est confronté à un danger....et le constat n'est pas brillant !
  • joeyramone84
    January 6, 2009
    joeyramone84
    a spanish drama/thriller about three young guys who sneaks in to this very rich neighbourhood surrounded by walls and fences, they came there to steal and when they try to get out they can't and they become prisoners inside..
    when I read about this I thougt the story sounded int...( read more)eresting and I thought it would be awesome..and maybe I had too high expectations cause I didn't like it at all.. it was boring and had no cool scenes at all, exept for the last minutes which was very dramatic and brutal, but i don't think those minutes are worth watching the whole thing..
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