Plaza Catedral

Released Jan 28, 2022

1 hr. 40 min.

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

89%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

Alicia had a "perfect life" and lost it. Her six year old son died in an accident she feels she could have avoided. Her grief is plagued by guilt, which has made her disassociate from society, from married life, and from herself. She now lives in the old quarter of Panama, a rich colonial enclave surrounded by Panamá poorest neighborhoods. There she meets Chief, a street-smart 13 year old who takes care of cars in front of her apartment and insists on getting paid for his job. Alicia keeps a safe distance from him, until one night Chief arrives at Alicia's apartment bleeding from a gunshot wound, and begs her for help. Reluctantly, Alicia lets him in. What she could not imagine is that by opening the door to Chief, she would open the door to an unforeseen emotional bond. Caring for Chief makes her feel connected to life again, and it hurts.

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Angelo C

A great late night flick from Panamá. I enjoyed the raw twist on the life of its characters:Alicia and Chief. Although, highly unlikely their relationship gave it life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/03/22

Full Review

Los ros p

An extremely compelling film. It's rare to see something this good on Netflix. Beautiful and heartbreaking.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/25/22

Full Review

Rossana C

Increiblemente conmovedora. Que triste que todos los días mueren niños a manos de sus mismos familiares. La violencia hacia los niños y niñas me aterra verla pero el director la aborda de forma inteligente creando empatía hacia los personajes a pesar de que todos muestran un gran resentimiento hacia la vida.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/19/22

Full Review

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Abner Benaim

Director

Ilse Salas

Alicia

Fernando Xavier De Casta

Chief

Manolo Cardona

Diego

Marcos Bernal Lopez

Lucas

Elsa Fajardo

Juana

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Anna Smith

Deadline Hollywood Daily

Salas puts in a compelling performance, while De Casta flits between cocky threat and ambiguous charm with a tender touch.

Jan 29, 2022

Full Review

Carlos Aguilar

Los Angeles Times

Benaim has hit an ailing nerve with "Plaza Catedral," his most accomplished effort to date.

Jan 28, 2022

Full Review

Jessica Kiang

Variety

The truthfulness of the performances renders it moving and genuine, despite the inherent problematics of its focus on the poor boy primarily as an agent of change for the well-off woman.

Dec 21, 2021

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

A sharply-observed account of a Panamanian social ill as it impacts two people — one who lives it, the other who “sees” it for the first time. The problem is Benaim doesn’t observe enough that’s new and doesn’t do anything novel with this familiar set-up.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 30, 2023

Full Review

Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

This is a film which might sound cloying sentimental, yet is anything but.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 28, 2022

Full Review

Josh Parham

Next Best Picture

The filmmaking creates an immersion right into the emotional perspective of the characters, and the moody score and strong aesthetic compositions add to the captivating tone.

Rated: 7/10

Jun 5, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Alicia had a "perfect life" and lost it. Her six year old son died in an accident she feels she could have avoided. Her grief is plagued by guilt, which has made her disassociate from society, from married life, and from herself. She now lives in the old quarter of Panama, a rich colonial enclave surrounded by Panamá poorest neighborhoods. There she meets Chief, a street-smart 13 year old who takes care of cars in front of her apartment and insists on getting paid for his job. Alicia keeps a safe distance from him, until one night Chief arrives at Alicia's apartment bleeding from a gunshot wound, and begs her for help. Reluctantly, Alicia lets him in. What she could not imagine is that by opening the door to Chief, she would open the door to an unforeseen emotional bond. Caring for Chief makes her feel connected to life again, and it hurts.

Director: Abner Benaim
Executive Producer: Maria Cecilia Arias G., Adrián Geyer, Miriam Pons, Rubén Sierra Salles
Screenwriter: Abner Benaim
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Production Co: Apertura Films
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 28, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 17, 2022

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