watch later

Not interested / seen

Leona (2018)Leona (2018)

Leona (2018)

A Jewish Latina confronts truths about love, life, and self

Drama, Romance

7.6

movie

Mexico
Spanish
Character-driven, Discussion-sparking, Dramatic
2018
Isaac Cherem
Adriana Llabrés, Carlos Aragón, Carolina Politi
95 min

Synopsis

rotten tomatoes
imdb
wikipedia
Ariela, a traditional Jew, meets Ivan, a young man who is not Jewish with whom she begins a secret relationship despite her family beliefs.

Our Take

7.6
The Staff

Present-day Mexico City—Ariela comes from a Jewish family that insists on getting married only to people of the same religion. This rule is complicated when Ariela falls in love with the non-Jewish Iván. She is then faced with the dilemma of choosing herself or her family, who for all their severity, she still loves deeply.

Leona’s modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet recalls the likes of Crazy Rich Asians and The Big Sick, but unlike those big-budgeted movies, this intimate Spanish-language film exchanges melodrama for restraint, and it’s all the better for it. Leona is a quietly moving story that’s easy to relate to, despite the specificity of its premise.

Comments

What did you think? Who should watch it?

Next up

You Hurt My Feelings (2023)

7.9

Wise, funny, and utterly relatable, this mediation on the merits of white lies and bitter truths is a delightful piece of work

Sanctuary (2023)

best

8.4

An ingenious blend of erotic thriller and dark comedy with a once-in-a-lifetime performance by Margaret Qualley

Cette Maison (2022)

best

8.4

A heartbreaking but transcendent dramatic exercise that uses imagination to reckon with a devastating loss

Polite Society (2023)

best

8.6

This riotous mishmash of influences still feels utterly original thanks to some ingenious writing and a whirlwind central performance

The Stroll (2023)

best

8.5

The often neglected but deeply necessary story of trans sex workers, finally told in their own voice

Godland (2022)

best

8.3

A grand, terrific beauty of a film

Tin & Tina (2023)

6.0

Two orphaned twins bring darkness and danger into the lives of a young couple

About My Father (2023)

4.4

This weak imitation of Meet the Parents can't be saved, not even by Robert De Niro

Stan Lee (2023)

7.0

A charming introduction to the famous comic book creator with words from the man himself

Reality (2023)

7.0

This surreal filmmaking experiment yields mixed results