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Zama

Play trailer 1:56 Poster for Zama 2018 1h 55m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 115 Reviews 58% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Zama, an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town in which he is stagnating, to a better place. His situation is delicate. He must ensure that nothing overshadows his transfer. He is forced to accept submissively every task entrusted to him by successive Governors who come and go as he stays behind.
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Zama

Zama

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Critics Consensus

Zama offers a series of scathingly insightful observations about colonialism and class dynamics -- and satisfyingly ends a long wait between projects from writer-director Lucrecia Martel.

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Critics Reviews

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Ben Croll IndieWire 02/12/2020
B
As an existential objet d'art Zama stands as a serious achievement. But that won't prevent even the most sophisticated of cinephiles from staggering out of the theater, wondering "What in the world did I just see?" Go to Full Review
Ben Sachs Chicago Reader 01/17/2019
This blackly funny-and ultimately haunting-examination of colonial history is thoroughly characteristic in its brilliant manipulation of physical space. Go to Full Review
Adam Nayman The Ringer 12/07/2018
If cinema is about being transported to another place, Martel is unrivaled as a guide... Go to Full Review
Aaron Charles InSession Film 05/09/2024
D-
I must give Martel credit for her firmness in sticking to the story. But there wasn't enough visually or thematically here in a film that focuses on a man who is…just waiting. Go to Full Review
Dave Giannini InSession Film 02/21/2024
Given my previous description of Lucrecia Martel, it will likely not surprise you that Zama is not for everyone. It is slow moving, difficult, and takes some real work to access as a viewer. That said, it is also a wonderful film... Go to Full Review
Emiliano Basile EscribiendoCine 12/13/2023
10/10
Zama demonstrates Lucrecia Martel's intelligence in surgically designing scenes and capturing her particular vision of the story. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Hulusi Ş Jun 10 A masterpiece for fans of Tarkovsky and Albert Camus; a test for those who like fast-paced cinema. for detail reviews: https://ulyssesmovieblog.com/zama-2017-a-kafkaesque-portrait-of-timeless-waiting/ See more Scott R @ScottR Apr 1 Ambitious project that took a different look on the drag of colonialism on the "elite". Ultimately, it took it too far and tried too hard to make something unique. Props for trying. I only saw it since it was on the NYT 1000 movies list. SLC DVD. See more Joan N 04/29/2024 Totally loved this Lucrecia Martel film. A fascinating take on period cinema. surreal, strange, with an indelible ending. See more Alec B 01/05/2024 As much as the titular character suffers, Martel doesn't turn him into a tragic figure nor do his torments overshadow the very real horrors of late 18th century colonialism. Its an impressive feat, one that's matched by the haunting and enigmatic ending. See more Richard P 10/17/2023 Having seen this film in the cinema several years ago, I was delighted to find it on Mubi and have a second chance to see it. A film which enchanted nearly all critics and sharply divided audiences has left me still decidedly on the side of the critics. The action of the film has a dream-like quality and is seen through the eyes of Don Diego de Zama, a magistrate in Spain's eighteenth century colonial empire, whose utter downfall we witness. The period milieu is convincingly realised as the camera pans slowly over the dim interiors, the sun-drenched landscapes and seascapes and the inhabitants, both European and native.While some have criticised the film's slowness, I found the strangeness of everything compellingly hypnotic. See more Damien B 02/22/2023 ZAMA is an interesting character study of a man seemingly lost in limbo, while the initial story seems as if it will expand, it instead narrows and plods along to an uncertain and unexpected end. Solid acting, but the pacing definitely leaves something to be desired. A good film for fans of peculiar survival stories, such as the Vincent Cassel film about Gauguin in French Polynesia. See more Read all reviews
Zama

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Movie Info

Synopsis Zama, an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town in which he is stagnating, to a better place. His situation is delicate. He must ensure that nothing overshadows his transfer. He is forced to accept submissively every task entrusted to him by successive Governors who come and go as he stays behind.
Director
Lucrecia Martel
Producer
Vânia Catani, Benjamín Doménech, Santiago Gallelli
Screenwriter
Lucrecia Martel
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Production Co
KNM, Patagonik Film Group, Bananeira Filmes, O Som e a Fúria, Strand Releasing, Telecine, El Deseo S.A., Canana Films, Louverture Films, Lemming Film
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 13, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 8, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$200.2K
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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