vivalanathan If the purpose of a film is to simply elicit an emotional response from the audience, Los Bastardos succeeds in spectacular fashion. Ultra- realistic and unflinching, it tells the story of two illegal immigrant brothers and their struggle to make enough money to support ailing family back in Mexico when they are hired to kill a single suburban mother. The long takes, no soundtrack, and use of non-actors create the feeling one might get from watching a documentary. The pace is achingly slow, with very little dialogue and minimal plot. Yet, the sense of dread and uneasiness reach a level very few films are able to achieve. Watching this film is about as enjoyable as getting dental work done, but the emotional impact one is left with after the credits roll is undeniable. It will stick with you and maybe even haunt you for a considerable amount of time after. For the patient viewer not expecting your typical Hollywood blockbuster or rom-com, Los Bastardos is a very unique, devastating, and powerful film. I highly recommend this film be watched, but with an open mind as it is unconventional.

jacobo88 To be honest i expected more about this movie. Poor script in Spanish and English.It started slow, very slow. The movie gives an one side overview about the conditions of Mexican workers trying to get a job and also the behavior of American people towards them. The discrimination and abuse is marked on the first hour of the movie. The two guys tried to live the American dream in the wrong way. I conclude this review with : if you don't have better thing to do or it is a cold boring night feel free to watch it. It might be a good movie if you are familiar with the directors type of movies.

Joey Muñoz Los Bastardos is a film about two very lonely Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles, who are forced to spend the evening with an even lonelier American woman, under extreme circumstances. Enter Jesús and Fausto, in the first shot they are seen walking for over four minutes, Fausto, the youngest is playing with a soccer ball which he leaves behind at the end of the shot, this could represent the fact that he's leaving behind his innocence for on that day they have been hired to kill someone. The plot always makes people think this is a fast paced thriller, or a "Funny Games" type ordeal, but no. The film plays like a Carlos Reygadas movie, once there is an action there is no reaction, but contemplation of the moment. This gives the spectator time to ponder and let the feelings sink in, particularly about the life-style of Mexican day-laborers which is something very depressing to watch. The story is taken at a very slow pace, and every turn leads to something unexpected, and the use of non-actors makes the situations feel very authentic and even logical, as though they could in fact happen in that order. The amount of realism is accentuated by scenery of Los Angeles, beautifully photographed. So yes, this is a deliberately slow film but it builds emotion with its pace only to destroy one's emotions at the end. The camera language speaks to the audience, this is a very well directed film. In the end, I thought this was the kind of cinema I needed at the time, and I could see it again to analyze the amazing photography and the fascinating pace. Its a very peculiar type of cinema, but its so well made and has such profound emotion that if it falls short of masterpiece its because we are not used to a film being so determined to be so casually profound.

Peter L. Petersen (KnatLouie) Brief summary: Two Mexican immigrants do odd jobs for random sleazy Americans, and usually hang around with their fellow Mexicans at a drop-off spot waiting for something new to pop up. It can be anything from construction-working and strawberry-picking to muscle-for-hire goons, just as long as there's enough money in it for them. Meanwhile, an American mother has trouble communicating with her lackadaisical teenage son, and fails to draw his attention in every way. The boy doesn't treat her very well, and leaves the house without even saying goodbye. On that same evening, the four lives will be forever changed, which is the story that this movie tells.The film is beautifully shot, and also has a fantastic soundtrack (very raw, hardcore music), which goes along perfectly to the style and theme of the plot of the movie. The two leading Mexican actors have apparently never done any movies before this one, but still manage to come across perfectly as these everyday-Mexicans, just trying to get by in a hard world, even if it may require doing things they don't appreciate very much.Anyway, this movie moves along very slowly, until it abruptly comes to a halt at the ending, which will probably shock most audiences, and may turn off a few people as well. Still, I found it to be a very unique and moving picture, which I would definitely recommend to those that are looking for something untraditional and out of the ordinary.9/10 - a slow but effective action/drama/thriller, that will haunt the audience for a long time afterward.