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Sin nombre

R Released Mar 20, 2009 1h 36m Mystery & Thriller Drama Adventure List
88% Tomatometer 120 Reviews 89% Audience Score 10,000+ Ratings
Sayra (Paulina Gaitán), a Honduran teen, hungers for a better life. Her chance for one comes when she is reunited with her long-estranged father, who intends to emigrate to Mexico and then enter the United States. Sayra's life collides with a pair of Mexican gangmembers (Edgar Flores, Kristyan Ferrer) who have boarded the same American-bound train. Read More Read Less
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Sin nombre

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Critics Consensus

Part harrowing immigration tale, part gangster story, this debut by writer/director Cary Fukunaga is sensitive, insightful and deeply authentic.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Chang Film Comment Magazine [F]or all its raw simplicity, the film manages to conjure a veritable library of references. Oct 20, 2014 Full Review Ben Kenigsberg Time Out Rated: 3/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Rated: 4/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Felicia Feaster Charleston City Paper The exotic setting and strong performances go a long way toward distinguishing Sin Nombre, even if the story itself can feel anemic. Jan 27, 2020 Full Review Nikki Baughan Roll Credits Eloquent, elegant and utterly heartbreaking, Sin Nombre is one of the most exciting pieces of cinema we've seen in a long time. Rated: 5/5 Oct 25, 2019 Full Review Kelly Jane Torrance Washington Times If you want to learn about the nameless people behind the headlines, Sin Nombre is the best place to start. Rated: 3.5/4 Dec 8, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member 1st-time Japanese American director Cary Fukunaga presents a story about the harsh realities of Mexico he takes a cast of unknowns and intermingles several stories taking place involving good, evil, danger, hope and redemption what works in this film is its topic, all the emotions, and the realness it's very difficult to watch at times but it certainly works to convey to the audience this one will definitely stay with you after the credits roll sympathetic characters, gorgeous scenery and a powerful script does Sin Nombre justice Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/20/24 Full Review Torin F SIN NOMBRE is a remarkable film, with a straightforward plot vividly brought to life by naturalistic, richly-embodied characters, gritty real world settings, and visceral cinematography. Along for the ride, viewers gain perspective of far-reaching geo-politicial complexities that are never directly commented upon, and don't need to be---the film beautifully conveys these realities with empathy and insight through the experience of its characters. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/27/23 Full Review Dave S A young Honduran woman embarks on a journey to escape Tegucigalpa in order to find a better life in America. After killing his leader, a gang member runs from the inevitable retribution and finds himself in a caravan of refugees heading north for the border. Sin Nombre is a film that refuses to pass judgement or make political statements, content with telling the story of individuals immersed in unbearable circumstances and the lengths they will go to escape their apparent fate. Alternating between horrifying and inspirational, it is relentlessly entertaining, filled with strong performances and excellent handheld camerawork. More background on the two main characters would have been beneficial, but Sin Nombres remains a powerful experience as it is. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/26/23 Full Review Nawt W This movie jumbles a huge amount of themes and events for what is scarcely 90 minutes of runtime, but it unquestionably succeeds in imparting a sensible story of redemption and aspirations for a better life where the grass is greener, without any sermons on how there shouldn't be any border at all. With very little they have to work with in terms of characters, the actors really embody their characters, and the visual style of many scenes is spectacular. The director ostensibly put a lot of time into research about Mexican gangs, specifically MS-13. I wager some people (including myself) would have wished that the plot was entirely centered on Casper and Smiley inside the clique and didn't turn into the chase to the border, because everything about Mara Salvatrucha feels very authentic; for example, their day-to-day activities and aesthetic are all so well shown. But I guess there is the City of God for that. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Te pasaste de lanza Smiley. Esta película dirigida por Fukunaga, estrenada el 18 de enero de 2009, muestra un poco como funcionan las pandillas en centroamérica, la película tiene como protagonistas a una familia hondureña que busca llegar a Estados Unidos, por el otro lado está un miembro de estas pandillas llamado Willy que buscara escapar de este mundo de pandillas, la película es entretenida, cumple con el objetivo de mostrar cómo funcionan las pandillas, ciertamente el mayor problema de la película es que los personajes principales casi no tienen importancia y la verdad nunca llegas a empatizar con ningún personaje, la película cumple con el objetivo de entretener y la recomiendo si quieres pasar un buen rato. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Sin Nombre dirigido por Cary Joji Fukunaga se base sobre una de las pandillas mas peligrosas, la Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). Casper una de los pandilleros mata al líder Lil Mago cuando el intento violar a Sayra una muchacha tratando de cruzar la frontera con su hermano y padre encima de un tren. Aunque Casper no lo vio el sabe que Lil Mago mató a su novia. Después de matarlo le dijo a Smiley un niño que se acaba de meter en la pandilla vuelve con el segundo a cargo, el Sol y le cuenta todo. Ahora Casper tiene que huir de todos ellos pero al final cuando Casper y Sayra llegan para cruzar el río los encuenta los pandilleros y Smiley asesina a Casper. Esta pelicula te hara ver la realidad de varios muchachos con las influencias de las pandillas al igual que los peligros al tratar de cruzar. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Sayra (Paulina Gaitán), a Honduran teen, hungers for a better life. Her chance for one comes when she is reunited with her long-estranged father, who intends to emigrate to Mexico and then enter the United States. Sayra's life collides with a pair of Mexican gangmembers (Edgar Flores, Kristyan Ferrer) who have boarded the same American-bound train.
Director
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Producer
Amy Kaufman
Screenwriter
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Distributor
Focus Features
Production Co
Scion Films
Rating
R (Some Sexual Content|Language|Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Adventure
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 20, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.5M
Runtime
1h 36m
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