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Roma

The sweeping, but intimate drama from celebrated director Alfonso Cuarón is currently in theaters and streaming on Netflix.

Alissa Wilkinson covers film and culture for Vox. Alissa is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics.

Metacritic score: 96

Roma was one of 2018’s most anticipated films, and it’s been the subject of rapturous reviews since its fall festival debut. The lushly shot, monochromatic domestic drama from Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Children of Men) — who also served as his own cinematographer — tells the story of a family in Mexico City and a girl who works for them.

Focusing on the struggles and strength of the family’s women, Roma is funny, sad, and carefully told — a challenge to the viewer to simply sit and pay attention to people who find themselves overlooked in their own homes. The film is being positioned by Netflix for a big awards season run in a number of categories, including cinematography, directing, and writing — and given its sensitive, gorgeous rendering that’s garnered comparisons to world cinema masters like Fellini and Bresson, it’s likely to be a strong contender. It’s also an incredible sensory experience, full of layered visuals and sound, that richly rewards the sensitive, attentive viewer.

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