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Lion's Den

Play trailer Poster for Lion's Den 2009 1h 53m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In the hazy morning after a threesome, expectant mother Julia Zárate (Martina Gusmán) finds her partner dead in her flat, and his fling, Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro), badly injured. Police arrive on the scene and promptly throw Julia behind bars, where she awaits trial. As her pregnancy progresses, Julia sinks into a deep depression. But she sheds her quiet, defeated demeanor when the eventual birth of her son, Tomás (Tomás Plotinsky), gives her a reason to live.
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Lion's Den

Lion's Den

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Critics Consensus

Martina Gusmán gives a feral performance in the Lion's Den, a gripping prison drama so real even the camera perspires behind bars.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian 03/26/2010
3/5
Frustratingly, the film tells us little about the crime itself and the denouement is a little unconvincing. The taste of sweat and fear is, however, real enough. Go to Full Review Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) 03/25/2010
4/4
Real inmates are extras, real cells provide the scenery: it has the desperate vitality of something barely made-up. Go to Full Review Nigel Andrews Financial Times 03/25/2010
3/5
Less than the sum of its parts? Yes. Nice parts? Yes. Go to Full Review Samantha Schuster Cinéfilo Serial Jul 17
4/5
It's a heartfelt and necessary work by Pablo Trapero, which reflects the situation of pregnant women and/or women with children in Argentine prisons. An intense and moving drama. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Diego Batlle Otroscines.com 08/18/2023
Any minimal reproach that can be made to the film is easily overlooked by the narrative power... [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Diego Brodersen Otroscines.com 08/18/2023
4.5/5
Lion's Den is the film by a team -actress and director- who fully trusts the material at hand, building, unlike few recent Argentine films, an absolute emotional empathy with the protagonist. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Vítor Pimentel de Oliveira V @RT19027067 03/21/2025 Extremely visceral work... this movie is a punch in your face, with an absolutely mesmerizing work by Martina Gusmán in the main role. Definitely a must-see. See more 02/28/2015 This film is so well done, so realistically made, it took more than half the film to see something too impossible to be recorded as it happened. The acting is fabulous. The story is connecting. The feelings are true. The outcome we though was automatic, is not. It is like following the course of a newly formed river. We guess it's path toward lower ground and all flows naturally until an effort is made to direct the river a little made it go a completely different path. When we reflect on it, we see that the river was working her own path toward the open ocean, not toward the inland lake/ocean. See more 06/10/2014 Very emotional movie See more 05/22/2014 wow ummm just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch......its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie......i think that Leonardo Sauma, Laura Garcia, Rodrigo Santoro, Eli Medeiros, Martina Gusman, play good roles/parts throughout this movie......i think that the director of this art house/inter national/drama movie had done a great job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie.......its got a good soundtrack throughout this movie,......i think that this is such a really powerful drama movie 2 watch it is such a really enjoyable drama movie 2 watch it is such a really sad movie 2 watch.......i think that this is such a really sad movie 2 watch it is such a really difficult movie 2 watch as it is such a really sad movie 2 watch its got a good soundtrack throughout this movie.......i think that this is such a really difficult movie 2 watch it is such a superb movie 2 watch it is a really well written/acted/directed movie 2 watch its got a great cast throughout this movie it is such a really sad movie 2 watch but its such a stunningly beautiful movie 2 watch its got a great cast throughout this movie its so really well directed movie 2 watch its got a great cast throughout this movie..... See more 03/05/2014 Thoughtful piece on the person, incarceration and motherhood. See more 12/14/2013 Powerful story of a woman trying to raise her child while in prison. See more Read all reviews
Lion's Den

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Cast & Crew

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Pablo Trapero

Director

Martina Gusmán

Julia

Elli Medeiros

Sofia

Rodrigo Santoro

Ramiro

Laura García

Marta

Tomás Plotinsky

Tomás VI

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Lion's Den

Martina Gusman as Julia in "Lion's Den." (Left) Martina Gusman as Julia in "Lion's Den." A scene from the film "Lion's Den." Director Pablo Trapero. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In the hazy morning after a threesome, expectant mother Julia Zárate (Martina Gusmán) finds her partner dead in her flat, and his fling, Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro), badly injured. Police arrive on the scene and promptly throw Julia behind bars, where she awaits trial. As her pregnancy progresses, Julia sinks into a deep depression. But she sheds her quiet, defeated demeanor when the eventual birth of her son, Tomás (Tomás Plotinsky), gives her a reason to live.
Director
Pablo Trapero
Producer
Suh Youngjoo, Pablo Trapero
Screenwriter
Alejandro Fadel, Martín Mauregui, Santiago Mitre, Pablo Trapero
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 3, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 26, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$13.7K
Runtime
1h 53m
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