La Cocina

Brimming with frenetic energy, Alonso Ruizpalacios’ thrilling adaptation of Arnold Wesker’s acclaimed 1957 play plunges the viewer into the chaotic heart of a bustling Times Square kitchen. During a lunchtime rush at The Grill, money is discovered missing from the till. Suspicion falls on Pedro, an undocumented Mexican chef entangled in an affair with an American waitress, Julia. Featuring exquisite black-and-white cinematography and a superb ensemble cast, including Rooney Mara and Raúl Briones, La Cocina is a heady cinematic experience and a searing critique of the restaurant industry’s exploitation of the often invisible labour of immigrant workers.