Parents' Guide to

Problemista

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Fresh, fantastic, inclusive comedy has sex, language.

Movie R 2024 98 minutes
Problemista Movie Poster: Alejandro (Julio Torres) looks overwhelmed while surrounded by cartoon images of tall buildings

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Problemista Movie: Alejandro (Julio Torres) stands behind Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton) in a hallway
  • Problemista Movie: Alejandro (Julio Torres) and Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton) on the street

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

wanthonygerard
wanthonygerard Parent of 18+-year-old
March 31, 2024
age 16+

Quirky

I try to write a reviews that are worthy of the films that I see, whether good or bad. But this one seemed too slight, quirky and confusing to warrant a long review. Maybe it's just my sense of humor. If you are a Sat Night Live fan, you will want to see this since Julio Torres is pretty cool. It is the story of a wanna be toy designer from El Salvador who needs a co-signer for his visa so that he can stay in the US. He is very timid and polite, in contrast to his abrasive employer and art critic played by Tilda Swinton. She is truly a crazy woman, and together they are trying to get find gallery to exhibit her late husband’s “egg paintings”. There is lots of satire about the art world and crazy narcissists who inhabit it, and clever traps about the the frustrations of the immigration system, but the film never goes beyond being cute. ( Not to say that this is for kids. The themes of the movie are all very adult, and the humor is akin to Saturday Night Live. Julio Torres wrote the story and stars. HIs Salvadoran heritage and skill as a writer, comedian, and actor are on full display.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In PROBLEMISTA, Alejandro (Julio Torres) dreams of being selected for the Hasbro toymaker talent incubator program, which requires applicants to live in the United States. When he's fired from his boring, dead-end job in New York, he faces deportation if he can't find a new employer to sponsor his visa. His only solution? Assisting complicated art critic Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), who's strapped for cash and offers Alejandro a deal: If he helps her sell her husband's art, she'll both pay and sponsor him. The problem is: She's a problem, a malcontent for whom nothing is ever good enough.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

With this wildly imaginative comedy, Torres offers a fresh approach to comedic storytelling. Problemista's dialogue zings, contrasting sharp-tongued Elizabeth with docile, try-hard Alejandro. The visual ingenuity with which Torres relays information to viewers while also showing us how Alejandro feels about that information—like when the online classified website Craigslist comes to life as an angel-demon—is a hard shake, waking us up to realize what moviemaking can be. While the fact that Elizabeth's success as a malcontent could be seen as promoting the iffy message of "get your way by being unreasonable" (the label "Karen" is never used, but it's felt), the true moral of the story is perfect for older teens: The road to success has potholes and bumps, and navigating them makes us who we are.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Problemista depicts sex work. Is it glamorized? Judged? How have portrayals of sex work changed in the media over the years?

  • What's the difference between complaining and self-advocating? Do you think Elizabeth's expressions of dissatisfaction would work in real life? What's the consequence of this kind of attitude in her private and professional life?

  • How does Alejandro demonstrate perseverance, gratitude, and self-control? Do you consider him a role model? Why, or why not?

  • How would you describe the film's message? What examples can you share from your life about the challenges you faced in achieving a goal, and what did it teach you along the way?

  • Did you notice any positive representations in the film? Why is it important to tell a wide range of diverse stories?

Movie Details

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