The Golden Dream

2013

1h 42m

Drama

List

89%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

86%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Teenage Guatemalan emigrants journey to the United States.

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Critics Consensus

With The Golden Dream, director Diego Quemada-Díez weaves a compassionate tale built on piercing honesty -- and outstanding work from an inexperienced cast.

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

For most of its running time, it's a bit of a slog. To some degree, it's a rewarding slog, and yet even then, not entirely.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 28, 2016

Full Review

Stephanie Merry

Washington Post

What these kids endure could easily read as melodrama on the page, but the movie - with its shaky camera work and amateur cast, including extras who were actual migrants - maintains a stark realism.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 10, 2015

Full Review

Stephen Holden

New York Times

"La Jaula de Oro" may seem like a rehash of old news. But don't be deceived.

Sep 3, 2015

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Sofía Ochoa Rodríguez

En Filme

Following the tradition of a road movie, The Golden Cage's protagonists succeed at an unbelievable cost, find happiness within the sadness and melancholy, and find an irreversible transformation through their cruel journey... [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/5

Nov 21, 2022

Full Review

Katie Smith-Wong

Flick Feast

The Golden Dream is a bleak, occasionally harrowing but powerful drama. It is not the most uplifting of films but one that doesn't shy away from the truth.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 20, 2019

Full Review

Ed Frankl

CineVue

A coming of age drama of sorts as four kids up sticks and hike towards America, it never shirks away from the horrors of their journey.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 26, 2019

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isla s

This is a grim and sobering watch, even though it has some nice settings and decent cinematography. The story is perhaps not quite as predictable as it may have been, which I liked. Its a thoughtful film I suppose, mainly about immigration and the pursuit of the supposed 'American Dream'. The cast do well and if your interested in it, I'd recommend it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Una tematica abordada en multiples peliculas pero ninguna la cuenta tan bien como esta. Los jovenes actores inexpertos hicieron un gran trabajo.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/18

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the most emotionally draining movies I have seen. It is not very often that a film takes me on an extreme roller coaster ride.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What Quemada-Diez did here was make a most realistic and definitive cinematic depiction of the journey undertaken by all those migrants who set out full of hope after the American Dream but find themselves caught in a devastating nightmare that should teach us something about solidarity.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Hard-hitting expose of the difficulties faced by migrants attempting to get into America illegally. The uplifting title is misleading as the whole film works against this premise as exemplified by the final scene.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Golden Dream is a modest yet powerful study of a sensational political issue. It foregoes back stories and talky scenes to give way to more time to depicting realities it wants to convey. Imageries are harrowing and combined with the courageous and heartfelt performance of its young casts, it successfully delivers its message.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

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Diego Quemada-Diez

Director

Brandon López

Juan

Rodolfo Domínguez

Chauk

Karen Martinez

Sara

Carlos Chajon

Samuel

Héctor Tahuite

Gregorio

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Synopsis

Teenage Guatemalan emigrants journey to the United States.

Director: Diego Quemada-Diez
Screenwriter: Lucia Carreras, Gibrán Portela, Diego Quemada-Diez
Production Co: Machete Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2016
Runtime: 1h 42m

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