Directed by Maite Alberdi, In Her Place is a historical drama and Chile’s official entry for Best International Feature at the upcoming 2025 Oscars . It’s now streaming on Netflix. IN HER PLACE : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? The Gist: Based on the true story of Chilean writer María Carolina Geel, In Her Place follows her trial after she murdered her lover at the Crillón Hotel.
Mercedes, the paralegal for the judge on the case, becomes infatuated with Geel’s life and takes every opportunity to spend time in her shoes after she’s given the keys to her apartment. What Will It Remind You Of?: The premise alone may remind you of The Talented Mr. Ripley , though this film is much less sinister or daring than that.
Performance Worth Watching: Elisa Zulueta is the central figure in the film as Mercedes and also yields the strongest performance. The film’s subtleties hinge upon her many wordless scenes as she lives in Maria’s apartment and tries her life on for size, imagining what it would be like without the trappings of her own domestic life. Memorable Dialogue: “What was he to you?” Mercedes asks Maria, trying to discern a motive for the writer’s actions.
“He wasn’t mine,” she answers simply, inviting Mercedes even deeper into the writer’s psyche. Sex and Skin: This internal drama doesn’t have any sex or skin. Our Take: A period piece, In Her Place is most enamored with the role of women in society.
At home, at work, and in private — how is a woman suppo.
