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Problemista

Play trailer 2:29 Poster for Problemista R Released Mar 22 1h 38m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 129 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 50+ Verified Ratings
Alejandro (Julio Torres) is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast (Tilda Swinton) becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. From writer/director Julio Torres comes a surreal adventure through the equally treacherous worlds of New York City and the U.S. Immigration system.
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Problemista

Problemista

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Critics Consensus

With Problemista, Julio Torres' utterly unique sensibilities prove a perfectly cracked lens through which to find the surreal humor in bleak aspects of the human experience.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide Observer (UK) Against all expectations, an odd-couple friendship develops. Or so this needy, Kaufmanesque indie would have us believe. In practice, however, Swinton is massively overblown and Torres too wispy and diffident to balance things out. Rated: 2/5 Jul 8, 2024 Full Review Jonathan Romney Financial Times Problemista is undeniably inventive, but it’s also rather joyless and ultimately infuriating. Like a Slinky that refuses to walk down stairs. Rated: 2/5 Jul 5, 2024 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian It’s full of implausible cod-adorable happy-sad touches, the filmic equivalent of a decaf oat latte with a sprinkling of vegan gummy bears. Rated: 2/5 Jul 3, 2024 Full Review Eileen G'Sell Hyperallergic Fans of Torres’s whimsical comedy will find much to love in his directorial debut, which takes a fantastical approach to depicting the very real trials of immigration and creative work. Oct 21, 2024 Full Review Ben Turner The Pink Lens While at times it looks, smells and feels like The Tilda Swinton Show, this movie actually belongs to Julio Torres with his talented fingerprints all over this impressive debut. Silly, sweet and – at times – ridiculous. Rated: 4/5 Sep 21, 2024 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Silly comedy about the immigrant experience in NYC. Rated: B+ Jul 29, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (20) audience reviews
stella Creative, beautiful, funny love it Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/10/24 Full Review Lisa M Hilarious and superb acting! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review Susie I liked the many messages of hope this film gave my family and I. I took my mom and brothers to see it because I knew it mentioned El Salvador. It is so important we support our talent. We are rooting for our bichito, Julio! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review TheNannyNamedShan This was the best movie I've seen in months. It was a genre-defying piece created with incredible dexterity. I was laughing throughout, and I'm happy to say that the audience in my showing was just as pleased with the humor as I was. And yet, I also felt such acute fear, distaste, unease, sweetness and hatred, often flying between extremes, in the best possible way that only a film of this caliber could achieve. Tilda Swinton better make room on her mantle for the awards this will surely bring her. And Julio Torres is a new directorial force to be reckoned with if Frida Kahlo and Spike Jonze co-directed a film, it would be this one. I loved it, and I will see it again. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/01/24 Full Review Sara Wonderfully unique movie! It was hilarious and worth watching! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/24 Full Review Rachel Standard Hollywood fare, this thankfully is not. Brilliant social commentary with hard laughs. Thank you AMC for now showing the types of films I used to have to go to "art house" theaters to view. I will definitely be coming back more often. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Alejandro (Julio Torres) is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast (Tilda Swinton) becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. From writer/director Julio Torres comes a surreal adventure through the equally treacherous worlds of New York City and the U.S. Immigration system.
Director
Julio Torres
Producer
Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Ali Herting
Screenwriter
Julio Torres
Distributor
A24
Production Co
A24, Fruit Tree, Exile Content Studio
Rating
R (Some Language|Sexual Content)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 22, 2024, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.1M
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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