No

R

Released Feb 15, 2013

1 hr. 56 min.

Drama

History

List

93%

133 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In 1988, international pressure comes to bear on Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, forcing him to call a referendum on his presidency. The country will vote either yes or no on extending Pinochet's rule for another eight years. Leaders of the "no" movement recruit Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), a young advertising executive, to spearhead their campaign. With few resources and constant scrutiny by the dictator's minions, Saavedra and his team hatch a bold plan to win the election.

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Critics Consensus

No uses its history-driven storyline to offer a bit of smart, darkly funny perspective on modern democracy and human nature.

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david l

No is a Chilean historical drama that features excellent directing from the great Pablo Larrain and one of career-best performances from Gael Garcia Bernal. It's a film that could have been more dramatic and engaging. It focuses too extensively on documentarian approach at storytelling. Still, the tone of optimism and importance is interesting while the dialogue and emotional investment are outstanding.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

kyle c

A very interesting movie, but not always the most engaging. It feels kind of like a documentary in the way it's filmed and paced (I actually thought it was a documentary for the first few minutes) which leads to some really interesting explorations of ideas of democracy, propaganda, and choice. It seems to be historically accurate and pretty educational, which is really nice. The acting is all fine, but the characters don't really get fleshed out as the movie focuses much more on the logistics of the plot rather than its impact on the characters (another way that this feels like a documentary). No is a good movie for history or politics buffs, but probably not exciting enough for your average audience.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Es una buena película, pero no es excelente; la trama es interesante, la cinematografía es pasable y la actuación de Gael García Bernal es decente; es un buen intento de retratar el pasado chileno.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

dave s

In No, ad executive Rene (Gael Garcia Bernal) is hired to manage the campaign to oust Augusto Pinochet from power in the 1988 Chilean referendum. It sounds like pretty dry stuff but the film is filled with some unexpectedly clever humor and a surprisingly touching conclusion. Based on a true story, the movie has the gritty feel of a documentary, but never loses focus on the character development of the protagonist or strays too far from the theme – the triumph of good over evil. What's unsettling about the movie is the lighting. Time after time, the camera stares into direct light and bleaches out the characters in the foreground, either symbolizing the light that is being brought to Chile or an indication that the cinematographer lost his light meter. Either way, it's annoying and manages to keep a good film from being great.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

literally so good wow

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As a director one has to think about what medium best suits this story. Based on the final product, I do think that taking this story to a series would have been a better idea, the film somehow feels rushed and time lapses are not that well explained creating a lack of tension, characters felt hollow, just García Bernal character gets enough screen time and even him is not very well developed. I understand that probably the idea of using cameras from that era would create a sense of engagement, for me it manages to do the opposite, a feeling of artificiality constantly avoid me from engaging in the movie, for me it felt like a pretentious directorial decision that doesn't pay off. The higlights are the themes explored, the manipulative and artificial nature of life itself. Poignant and a little pretentious ending that I liked. I would love to see the documentary about this real events in Chile's history.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Pablo Larraín

Director

Gael García Bernal

René Saavedra

Alfredo Castro

Lucho Guzmán

Luis Gnecco

Urrutia

Antonia Zegers

Verónica

Marcial Tagle

Costa

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J. Hoberman

Harper's Magazine

Given the charnel-house atmosphere of Tony Manero and Post Mortem, it's striking that Larraín concludes his Pinochet trilogy on a note of near-giddy optimism.

Mar 4, 2018

Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

Larraín shows how idealism and venality sat side by side, how quickly the brutal circumstances in which Pinochet came to power were forgotten and how little seemed to change once he left.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 1, 2014

Full Review

Rene Rodriguez

Miami Herald

Gripping and suspenseful even though the ending is already known.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2014

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... the strange but true story of how modern advertising defeated General Augusto Pinochet in Chile.

Sep 22, 2023

Full Review

Rosa Parra

Latinx Lens

An insightful look at the events that took place to vote out the dictatorship.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 2, 2022

Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Why does the film present such a superficial and misleading account of Chilean history?

Aug 13, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

In 1988, international pressure comes to bear on Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, forcing him to call a referendum on his presidency. The country will vote either yes or no on extending Pinochet's rule for another eight years. Leaders of the "no" movement recruit Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), a young advertising executive, to spearhead their campaign. With few resources and constant scrutiny by the dictator's minions, Saavedra and his team hatch a bold plan to win the election.

Director: Pablo Larraín
Executive Producer: Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King
Screenwriter: Pedro Peirano
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Participant Media, Canana Films
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Drama, History
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 15, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 25, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M

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