CRIMNAL CASES

LOS AHOGADOS

2025 / 86 min / color

Marcela is an ambitious aspiring writer. One evening she comes home with her family and walks into a scene straight out of a film noir: the body of their young housekeeper is floating in the swimming pool. The incident is swiftly classified as murder, and Marcela’s family members suddenly find themselves the prime suspects in the shocking case. As their seemingly perfect, luxurious lives begin to unravel, the family gets targeted with harassment and anonymous threats, sending Marcela into a spiral of paranoia. The thin line between reality and illusion starts to blur as she obsessively tries to uncover the truth behind the tragic death. For Ecuadorian director Juan Sebastián Jácome, criminal intrigue is a starting point for a probing reflection on class divisions and the inherent hypocrisy of the wealthy. By crafting a dark, claustrophobic atmosphere rich with symbolic imagery, he explores social inequality and the violence lurking behind the pristine walls of luxury estates.