La Zona (2007)

79% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(2,776 ratings)

At a time when the growing chasm between the rich and the poor appears to be slowly tearing Mexico - and many other Latin countries - apart, first time filmmaker Rodrigo Plá highlights just how isolationism breeds fear in many wealthy communities. Alejandro (Daniel Tovar) lives with his father… More At a time when the growing chasm between the rich and the poor appears to be slowly tearing Mexico - and many other Latin countries - apart, first time filmmaker Rodrigo Plá highlights just how isolationism breeds fear in many wealthy communities. Alejandro (Daniel Tovar) lives with his father Daniel (Daniel Giménez Cacho) and his mother Mariana Maribel Verdú) in an isolated community known as La Zona. La Zona is home to the most privileged citizens in Mexico, but with all of the gates and closed circuit cameras it feels more like a million dollar prison than a typical neighborhood. Eventually, a group of disadvantaged teenagers manage to break into La Zona. As the members of the community scramble to protect their families at any cost, one of the teenaged burglars, a frightened boy named Miguel (Alan Chávez), seeks cover in the basement of Alejandro's home as his friends scatter. Later, when Alejandro discovers the young fugitive, the privileged boy's growing empathy for the petty thief and murder suspect leads him to question the values imposed on him by his father as well as the many other isolationists who have taught him to fear his fellow countrymen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Rodrigo Plá
Written By: Rodrigo Plá
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Nov 9, 2007 Wide
On DVD: May 12, 2009
Studio: Distrimax

Critic Reviews

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine
Some may sniff at director Rodrigo Plá's deliberately exaggerated style, but it makes no pretensions to authenticity. Indeed, it's just audacious enough to work -- like Crash reimagined by Rod Serling.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
Signals another promising discovery in a film industry that is definitely coming into its own golden age.
Jay Weissberg, Variety
An impressive feature debut that sweeps the viewer into the horrors of vigilante justice
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
Un excelente thriller dramático, narrado con precisión y buen elenco, que es sobre todo una inquietante reflexión sobre uno de los temas más candentes y polémicos de nuestro tiempo.
Dave Calhoun, Time Out
This slick, serious-minded tale of upper-crust vigilantes protecting their gated community at any cost is a nihilistic but thoughtful portrait of a country divided .
Jamie Russell, Film4
Latin American middle-class panic needs no translation in this strong thriller about the worries of the wealthy. Fans of JG Ballard's novels will relish it.
James Christopher, Times [UK]
The viral atmosphere of intimidation is alarming, and thick with resonant premonitions of a legion of dystopian urban tomorrows.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
A smart movie, dramatically lean and mean, exciting and often shocking.
Rob Daniel, Sky Movies
Dark, compelling, and with the courage of its hard-nosed convictions, La Zona starts off gripping and squeezes like a vice come the disturbing conclusion.
Chris Hicks, Total Film
Director Rodrigo Plá pulls off a biting critique of middle-classes living in smug seclusion, but doesn't compromise on tension as the suburbanites' morals spiral out of control.
Nigel Andrews, Financial Times
A Mexican thriller-with- a-message, brings the message and forgets the thrills.
Anthony Quinn, Independent
The screenwriter, Laura Santullo, is slightly heavy-handed at times, but she expertly captures the mood of paranoia and self-righteousness gripping this middle-class enclave.
Derek Malcolm, This is London
This is a well-made realist study of what happens when society is divided between rich and poor. But it is also so schematic that some of its power drains away.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Gripping thriller with strong performances and a script that is both chilling and scarily prescient.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Sacrifica o que poderia se tornar um forte comentário político em função da absoluta falta de sutileza com que desenvolve a narrativa.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
An explosive Mexican drama depicting how the poor are being given the shaft in a class war that is raging around the world as the privilges of the rich and the powerful are protected.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
If the insult of La Zona is not as significant as Paul Haggis's Crash, that's because director Rodrigo Plá doesn't trivialize a society's racial dynamics, only its class relations.
Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
a complex, ambitious anatomisation of the workings of justice in a deeply iniquitous world
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...a slow-moving drama...

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Gordon A

Efficient if unspectacular drama probing the ethics of gated communities. Benefits from its setting in Mexico but says little new that American films (and particularly German 'The Edukators' ) haven't explored adequately.
Lady D

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.
Rico Z

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… More
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 neighborhood 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.
Fernando Rafael Q

LA ZONA is more an accomplishment of writing and directing (by newcomer RODRIGO PLA), than of acting, since most of the film's performances are dry and mechanic, with the exceptions of Daniel Giménez Cacho, Maribel Verdú and Daniel Tovar. A very interesting story about violence… More
LA ZONA is more an accomplishment of writing and directing (by newcomer RODRIGO PLA), than of acting, since most of the film's performances are dry and mechanic, with the exceptions of Daniel Giménez Cacho, Maribel Verdú and Daniel Tovar. A very interesting story about violence and corruption that tells us that the worst dangers could be in our own neighborhood.
Quinto W

Wow! That "Skimo" guy has more talent in him than I had given him credit before and does a great job as one of the few likeable characters. This film was a little depressing because even though some people claim to be a little too exaggerated, I thought it was still… More
Wow! That "Skimo" guy has more talent in him than I had given him credit before and does a great job as one of the few likeable characters. This film was a little depressing because even though some people claim to be a little too exaggerated, I thought it was still reaslitically portrayed, which was kinda depressing.