Roma

Verdict

A ravishing, deeply felt domestic drama that turns everyday routines into something monumental. Its patient visual precision, emotional restraint, and devastating set pieces make it one of the most acclaimed films of its decade, though its perspective and politics can feel more debated than universally embraced.

Best for

• Viewers who love immersive, slow-burn dramas
• Fans of meticulous black-and-white cinematography and long takes
• People drawn to intimate stories about labor, class, family, and memory
• Anyone seeking a film that rewards patience and close attention

Skip if

• You want a fast plot or constant dramatic escalation
• You dislike observational, contemplative filmmaking
• You prefer emotionally explicit storytelling over restraint
• You are likely to be frustrated by films centered on domestic labor and social hierarchy

Overview

Roma is the kind of film that seems to expand the longer you sit with it. What begins as a portrait of domestic routine gradually reveals a whole social world: class, gender, family fragility, and the invisible labor that holds everything together. Cuarón’s control of image and sound is extraordinary, but the film’s power comes from how those formal choices make ordinary moments feel lived-in and fragile.

Worth noting

The film’s emotional force is cumulative rather than explosive. It lingers on chores, silences, and small gestures until they become inseparable from grief, tenderness, and endurance. When the film does open into larger spectacle, it feels earned precisely because the rest has been so carefully observed.

Bottom line

Some viewers find the perspective complicated, even distancing, and that tension is part of the conversation around the film. Still, as a piece of cinema, it is exceptionally crafted and often overwhelming in the best sense: a memory film that feels both personal and historically expansive.

Top Letterboxd reviews

Jay (4.5★) · 4545 likes

alfonso cuaron before writing roma: i guess i support mens rights alfonso cuaron 2 pages into writing: mens rights to shut the fuck up!

Karsten (5★) · 4176 likes

It’s been awhile since a film has left me completely speechless. Like, the kind of speechless where I was so overwhelmed that it wasn’t until my walk home that I started breaking down. It’s been awhile since I got lost in a film completely and forgot about literally everything in the most beautiful way possible. It’s been awhile since I watched something special and one of a kind, something that makes me depressed to think I’ll never see it for

˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ (5★) · 3007 likes

not to sound dramatic or anything but that beach scene changed my life

Sean Baker · 2459 likes

As I wrote on twitter: The precision in Cuarón’s craft is quite honestly overwhelming. I think I had a minor anxiety attack while watching it. And seeing the movie theater shot in a movie theater was otherworldly. One of my faves of the year. I'll be seeing again on the big screen in Van City.

#1 gizmo fan (5★) · 1803 likes

Alfonso Cuarón didn't release this beautiful film in in theaters just so Bohemian Rhapsody could be played in the theater next to it and rudely play Queen over EVERY EMOTIONAL SCENE

Themes

domestic labor, class divide, motherhood, memory, family dynamics, social hierarchy, female resilience, coming-of-age

Topics

drama, art-house, black-and-white, slow cinema, 1970s, intimate, observational, class conflict, family saga, emotional realism