On a boring Saturday night, I spent my time cozying up in my bed scrolling through movie upon movie that I have watched or even re-watched. After much searching, I came across a movie that I usually wouldn’t look twice at, but because of my increasing boredom, I decided to try it.
This film was entitled “Elena Knows.” Directed by Anahi Berneri and officially released in 2023, this was a production that has not been well known because I haven’t seen anyone antsy about its impending arrival. This movie is based on the book “Elena Knows” written by bestselling Argentinian author Claudia Piñeiro, originally published in Spanish in 2007 but later translated to English by France Riddle in 2021.
Now, onto the movie itself. This movie surrounds the relationship between a mother and daughter. The mother Elena, played by Mercedes Morán, is struggling with Parkison’s disease. Because she is unable to care for herself, her daughter Rita, played by Erica Rivas, has been her constant caretaker, despite her mother’s bitter attitude towards her.
Elena has never had a kind word about anyone, even since Rita’s childhood. She has always stood as though she has no love or compassion for anyone. She has remained in a box, concealing her emotions from anyone she meets.
I personally don’t like Elena’s character one bit. She is extremely selfish, expecting too much from Rita even though Elena treats her poorly. She loves to get into everyone’s business and believes that everyone should respect her opinion on anything she decides to put her two cents in.
This movie starts by showing the relationship that Elena and Rita hold, showing the mood swings that Rita has to deal with when trying to care for her mother. When Rita sends her mother to get a haircut, Rita never comes by to pick Elena up. This is extremely odd behavior for Rita, because despite the way her mother treats her, she still finds it is her responsibility to aid her.
The scene cuts to the local church in Elena and Rita’s town, in which two young children inform the pastor that there is a hanging body at the bell tower. And sure enough, Rita’s lifeless body is hanging from the ceiling up in the bell tower.
When Elena is informed of her daughter’s death, she refuses to believe that it was a suicide, despite law enforcement telling her that is the conclusion they have drawn from both the autopsy and the crime scene itself.
Elena sets on her own investigation, convinced that someone ventured out to murder her daughter. Elena comes to the school Rita worked as a school teacher, receiving much sympathy and condolences from students and teachers, but it doesn’t change the cold look on Elena’s face.
Rita’s ex-boyfriend, as they broke up just before she passed away, is shown to be sobbing and having a hard time dealing with the loss of the woman he loves. Even as sits in the funeral home watching him cry, she still remains dispassionate towards her daughter’s death.
In the end, after much investigating, Elena finds the truth about what really led to her daughter’s death.
The ending gave a different side of Elena that I believe is worth the weight.
Despite many negative reviews made on this movie, I thought that it was extremely heart-wrenching and it gave me a different side of production I am not used to. I usually watch comedy movies filled with fantasy and non-realistic situations, which is the exact opposite of this movie. This movie is not something I would typically reach for, but I’m glad that I did.
You can watch Elena Knows on Netflix.
