Word Weave Web

Titles can be misleading and the same goes for Rest In Peace, a recent addition to the Argentinian slate on Netflix.

A bit under two hours, the movie is an understated, heartfelt, and emotional product. 

It is based on the novel by Martin Baintrub.

Rest In Peace Synopsis

Mounting debts and deteriorating health force a man to take an extreme step to safeguard the interests of his family. But can he have his family ever after?

Directed by Sebastian Borensztein, the film stars Joaquin Furriel (Sergio), Griselda Sicialini (Estela), Gabriel Goity, Lali Gonzalez, and Raul Daumas, among others.

Rest In Peace: Positives

The idea is not out of the box but its execution is daring with the makers doing an excellent job to present an easy concept in an uneasy, unexpected manner.

Sergio has taken many loans to run his company and maintain his lifestyle. However, he doesn’t have any money to pay back the lenders. Caught in a precarious financial web, destiny gives him a chance to make things right. But the cost of the solution is his absence forever. 

Rest In Peace Plot Outline

It resembles a dim tale of an individual who has nowhere to go to end his financial misery. The storyline takes us through his struggling present and a possibly doomed future.

Rest In Peace relies on the gloomy ambiance emphasising the arrival of sadness at any moment.

It makes you feel the atmosphere. You can sense tragedy as it gradually creeps into the narrative.

The storyline is realistically depicted. All the twists are believable and the mystery sits well too. Rest In Peace does not hide its secrets.

There are no underhand plot meanderings. You see what’s happening and that’s about it.

The characters’ relationships seem authentic, their conversational bonhomie has an unhinged flair, and their strong presence demands your attention.

Moreover, the movie has a nuanced screenplay that keeps growing with time. It may not keep you on the tenterhooks but it wasn’t supposed to be like that either.

Rest In Peace achieves what it sets out for in terms of onscreen narrative. The subtle variations of the plot give the movie a structured consistency.

How are the Performances?

Joaquin Furriel as Sergio does an incredible job. His rugged appearance holds the key for Rest In Peace. 

He meticulously performs to his ability and shines on his own. The actor is brilliant in all three phases of the movie, be it his comportment or his ability to depict inner turmoil.

Griselda Sicialini plays Estela in the film and goes from strength to strength. 

She may appear as a mere shadow to the male lead initially but finds prominence soon enough.

Griselda has a controlled demeanor that allows for mixed invocations. She stays a part of the narrative without being flashy about it.

Lali Gonzales and Gabriel Gouty have an intermittent presence in the film. Both actors make the story more refreshing. 

Their arrival or rather sustained stay comes somewhere in the middle, which allows them to be seen as ‘fresh perspectives.’

Rest In Peace: Downsides

The movie is predictable. One can comfortably get a hint of what is to come. 

I am not sure if this was intended or not. But I do feel the opposite of it would have helped Rest In Peace to a large extent.

See, the story is straightforward but it has been executed quite well. Still, you always know what will happen in the near future due to the innate essence of the idea.

Moreover, the protagonist’s past is not explored. Shedding light on how he reached the situation of bankruptcy would have helped make Rest In Peace wholesome.

The soulful nucleus of the film falls short a bit. A character going through such misery should have been more grueling to watch.

However, that doesn’t seem to be the case here.

Stream or Skip?

There are a lot of positives to look at for this Argentinian film. Barring the factors of predictability and the exploration of the past, I think everything allows for a watch.