New Order starts with a chaotic montage of images. There’s a modern art painting, a naked lady covered in green paint, and plenty of lifeless bodies. Each image flashes up on screen for half a second as bold orchestral music plays in the background. It’s a disorientating and sensationalist start which gives us a sign of the chaos to come.

The film relaxes for 15 minutes after the opening as we enter the safety bubble of an upper class wedding in Mexico City. There’s a lot of mingling and small talk. It’s a world which feels a lot like the exclusive Mexico City world shown in The Good Girls. Everyone is focused on their business and completely oblivious to the lives of the public outside of their social sphere.

However, some ominous signs start to appear that connect to the chaotic opening montage which the film uses to build unease. The tap water starts running green; the judge for the wedding is late; and one guest appears with a green splodge on her shirt. Meanwhile the bride disappears to help out one of their former maids. The outside world is getting closer to their upper class bubble.

It’s not long before the bubble bursts and some outsiders splattered in green climb over the walls surrounding their property, symbolic of the wealth divide. At this point everything suddenly goes mad as the security guards turn on the wealthy family and start raiding the house for valuables alongside the home invaders. It’s not particularly clear who the invaders are, but from who they’re targeting it seems like it’s an anti-rich uprising. From this point on the film descends into nihilistic chaos that reminded me of Todd Phillips Joker. It’s not really clear what the nihilism is supposed to represent besides a vague: rich are bad, and the poor victimized and it’s never really clear why everything is happening. As a result, the second half comes across as a bit sensationalist and provocative and without too much depth to back up the action.

If you’d like to see some Mexican political movies with a bit more depth check out the satirical critique of Mexican politics in Luis Estrada’s The Perfect Dictatorship, and the horrifyingly real nihilism in Amat Escalante’s Heli. There’s also Children of Men and Sons of Denmark if you want to watch some more chaotic near future dystopian movies.


Head to our AFI Fest Hub for more reviews and short films from AFI Fest 2020.

With quarantine restrictions still in place in Los Angeles, AFI Fest has launched as a virtual film festival this year with the help of the Eventive film platform. Despite the challenges that is 2020, AFI Fest has still managed to gather a wide slate of over 100 films from around the world. So whilst no one will be in Hollywood in person, it’s still one of the most prestigious film festivals in Los Angeles in spirit.

I’ll be trying to catch as many of the films from the World Cinema and New Auteurs sections, as both contain a bunch of interesting selections from around the world. Check back here to get the lowdown of some of the films from both sections and a full festival recap a little while after it ends.

Epicentro Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Why Watch Epicentro?

  • It’s an interesting outsider’s perspective of a forgotten country
  • To meet anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist locals
  • Watch a filmmaker unwittingly become part of the cycle of exploitation
From: Cuba, North America
Watch: Trailer, IMDb, Website
Next: The Project of the Century, I Am Cuba, Let it Burn
Continue reading “Epicentro – An Outsider’s Perspective of Cuba”
The Black Pin

The Black Pin Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Why Watch The Black Pin?

  • If you like films set in quaint rural villages
  • To see how gentrification affects small rural towns around the world
  • For classic friendly dry humor
From: Montenegro, Europe
Watch: Trailer, IMDb
Next: Underground, The Flying Circus, Cosy Dens
Continue reading “The Black Pin – Gentrification in a Small Montenegrin Village”
The Burial of Kojo

The Burial of Kojo Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Why Watch The Burial of Kojo

  • If you like films which take you on a magical journey
  • To see a film with a unique style
  • For a few hidden political layers
From: Ghana, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Netflix, JustWatch
Next: Sleepwalking Land, The Fall, Eve's Bayou
Continue reading “The Burial of Kojo – A Magical Quest Through Space and Time”