Zama
Director: Lucrecia Martel
Writer: Lucrecia Martel
Based on: Antonio Di Benedetto’s novel
Cast: Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele, Juan Minujín, Nahuel Cano, Mariana Nunes, Carlos Defeo, Rafael Spregelburd
Seen on: 19./20./21.1.2026

Content Note: slavery, colonialism

Plot:
Don Diego de Zama (Daniel Giménez Cacho) is a magistrate, stationed in the Spanish colonies in Latin America. He is far from home and far from his family and is just waiting to finally get the relocation he has been hoping for for years. But there are always new things he has to fulfill before the letter to the king can be written.

I had read that Zama is a deconstruction of colonialism, and that intrigued me. But while the film is certainly clear about the lack of nobility in the Spanish efforts to conquer this continent and its people, there is little else about the film that really worked for me.

Zama is not a bad film, far from it. It is expertly crafted and has great performances. I was hoping for a little more criticism of colonialism, though, instead of the more neutral stance the film takes. With the film‘s focus on Zama and the tragic-comical role he takes, colonialism may not look particularly noble and enticing, but neither is it fundamentally questioned. It’s more like Zama is doing it badly, and less that it is a bad thing.

The final part of the film then becomes a surreal wandering through marshy lands, surrounded by almost mythical natives which is also a choice. The natives here generally get little of the film‘s consideration or empathy. There is a scene at the beginning of the film where Zama tries to spy on naked native women, and when they catch him, he quickly strikes one of them who dared to follow him. It’s both a surprising moment that decisively cuts through the light-hearted mood that precedes it, and not surprising at all because colonialism is a violent project. If the film had more of those moments, I think it would have fulfilled much more of my expectations about it, but unfortunately, there is only a couple of more moments like it (like the way the slave at the fan is talked about) – and they always take a backseat to Zama’s plight.

The film does have its moments, though. The cast is great with Cacho nailing the tragic character in a comedic setting and vice versa vibe the film aims for. But really, it’s Dueñas small role that brings the film really to life. When she is on screen there is a sense of energy that is missing otherwise. Most likely that is on purpose – Zama is, after all, a character with very little agency, and he is experiencing that same long-winded wait for something more. But that doesn’t make the film less of a drudgery to sit through sometimes.

Summarizing: not for me.