O Patrão: Radiografia de um Crime

Based on the book by Elías Neuman of the same name, "El patrón, radiografía de un crimen" follows Hermogenes Saldivar (Joaquín Furriel), a farmhand from Santiago del Estero, working at a butcher shop after moving to Buenos Aires with his partner in search of a better life.

Directed by Sebastián Schindel, the movie touches upon class division, discrimination, corruption, and the struggles in the judicial system, problems that affect Argentina.

As a working-class and illiterate individual, Hermogenes struggles to find job options and sees himself as someone not capable of much owing to an injured knee. He finds a job at one of the butcher shops of Latuada (Luis Ziembrowski), where he is behind the counter and in charge of heavy lifting and cutting and preparing meat.

Latuada, referred by Hermogenes as "El patron," is not the best boss. His daily mistreatment to his employee and his partner Gladys (Monica Lairana) illustrates not only the prevailing discrimination still present in South America but also how he conducts his businesses. His proclivity for selling putrid meat, deceiving his customers, and putting them at risk epitomizes the stale air of the whole affair. Like the stench of rotting meat permeating everything in its wake.

Meat is at the core of the story and plays an important role in the visuals with sequences that strike for their physicality in handling it. Moments that aim at evoking disgust and also understanding the harsh reality of its protagonist. They could be compared to what Coralie Fargeat many years later did in The Substance (2024), taking the contact with food to another level by the many uses of close-ups and the sound treatment. And while not as shocking without the attention to sound, Schindel's feature film manages to infuse these places with a suffocating putrid smell that would tempt anyone to try vegetarianism.

The cast manages to portray the events in a believable fashion from beginning to end. Furriel is more than convincing in his role; the way he speaks, the way he looks, and the way he behaves capture Hermogenes perfectly. Ziembrowski gives his character the credibility to evoke antipathy and create a distance between Latuada and the audience.

"El patrón, radiografía de un crimen" examines the events that led Hermogenes being at odds with the law after so much time suffering in silence and the involvement of lawyer Marcelo Di Giovanni (Guillermo Pfening), who will see to bring justice to the case.

Although Argentina has a long road in the recognition of human rights, it still has a pending debt with respect to labor rights, with working under the table being one of the most relevant problems that has worsened seriously in recent years. The film tells the story of Hermógenes, a low-class, illiterate butcher born in a town in the interior of Argentina who moves with his partner to Buenos Aires to progress. There he will be exploited in a cruel and dehumanized way by his "boss" with whom he will maintain a close relationship to slavery. The performances are excellent causing a great indignation in the viewer, and although there are no great scenarios or a photographed work, we find a film that works with its objective that is to show the exploitation suffered by people of low educational training while movintg to large urban centers. 8/10

Sebastián Schindel's gritty crime drama offers an unflinching glimpse into the bleak world of exploitation hiding in plain sight. Set against the muted palette of urban Argentina, the film operates in a space of quiet dread, maintaining an oppressive atmosphere that suits its unsettling subject matter. The cinematography is intentionally stripped down, with dimly lit interiors and gray-toned exteriors that echo the emotional numbness of its central character. There's a documentary-like realism to how the camera lingers, never romanticizing or sensationalizing, just observing the slow burn of institutionalized abuse with a clinical eye.

The acting is where this film leaves its strongest impression. Joaquín Furriel delivers a quietly harrowing performance, embodying a man ground down by circumstance with remarkable restraint. His physicality is key - rigid posture, downcast eyes, the stammer of someone long silenced. Opposite him, Luis Ziembrowski gives a chilling portrayal of a predator who hides behind casual cruelty and manipulative charm. The cast as a whole leans into a subdued, naturalistic style that reinforces the film's raw, unvarnished tone. No one feels like they're playing for the camera; instead, their performances pull you into a world where power is abused with a shrug and victims barely know they're victims until it's too late.

While the film excels at atmosphere and performance, its pace may test some viewers. The storytelling is slow and methodical, often circling around the same emotional notes. It builds tension incrementally, but with few moments of catharsis or dramatic relief. The narrative structure, while deliberate, at times feels like it's stretching a short story into a feature-length format. This contributes to a sense of emotional fatigue by the final act, which lacks the impact it seems to be building toward. Still, the film's commitment to truth over theatrics earns it respect, even when its message feels more powerful than its momentum.

A brilliant well crafted and acted film. One of very few I'd watch again. Perhaps I missed a few events or perhaps the film needs tighter editing...in any event an amazing delve into good vs evil and the banal vs the ethereal. Watch this gem.

Very much under estimated movie. It is very well made, despite being on a small budget. This one deserves to be seen!