Entre Nos (Movie Review)

*Updated November 2025

Verdict: If the moving story in Entre Nos had been more developed and the ending had not been rushed, it would be worth watching. When the filmmaker Paola Mendoza told us that the movie was made in only 18 days, this explained why it was so short and felt so rushed. The emotional connection is very strong, and with more development it could have gone farther and it would be a better film that I could recommend.

The protagonist and producer of Entre Nos, Paola Mendoza, plays a convincing role. She is a woman who suffers a lot because she is married to a man who is worthless and cannot settle anywhere. They have lived in Bogotá, Medellín, and on the coast of Colombia, and after only living two weeks in New York City he decides to move to Miami and leave his family behind.

Mariana (Mendoza) tries all sorts of things for her family to have a good future and to follow her husband to Miami. She tries selling empanadas and washing dishes, but nothing works as well as recycling cans. This is the only way she can work and be with her children at the same time. Her children Gabriel (Sebastian Villada), 10 years old, and Andrea (Laura Montana), 6 years old, take their mother’s work as a game and have fun recycling.

Thanks to her children, Mariana is able to surpass some of the hardest moments of her life. They are her strength. Gabriel understands a lot of what is going on, and when they are kicked out of their apartment for not paying the rent he goes and works recycling by himself when he is able, to help his mom. As a kid, sometimes he is rebellious and gives her headaches, but he has good intentions.

Some of the strongest points in this movie are the family connection. It shows how far we can get if we have the support of our family, even if it is only made up of three people. Gabriel’s behavior melts anyone’s heart. Although he wants to study and play, he understands that helping his mom is more important. The kindness of strangers is another strong point that is shown. A woman who rents out rooms (Sarita Choudhury), who feels pity for Mariana, offers her friendship and support when she needs it the most.

Since this story is based on Paola Mendoza’s mother’s real life and her own, it has a lot of real elements. These elements work well and create an honest environment full of harshness with which many can identify. Unfortunately these elements are not used to their fullest to create a movie that leaves you with something. As the other producer, Gloria La Morte, said, they wanted to make a film that would show the real side of New York City, that would not glamorize the American dream. This is accomplished until a certain point.

The rushed ending ruins the rhythm of the movie and its essence, because suddenly it becomes a fairy tale. From one moment to the next everything is okay and they are not poor anymore, and we suddenly arrive at a summary of their lives up to adulthood without a warning.

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