Lion's Den
A young Argentine mother must raise her newborn inside prison while guilt, isolation, and an unforgiving justice system close around them.
Overview
A young woman's life spirals into darkness as she faces the consequences of her actions in a harsh prison environment.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- austere
- harrowing
- intimate
- serious film night
- international cinema evening
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, intimate prison drama elevated by Martina Gusmán's performance and its unsentimental treatment of motherhood and incarceration.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Julia gives birth to Tomás inside prison, making motherhood inseparable from confinement and institutional control.
The prison routines, restricted spaces, and bureaucratic pressures are rendered through grounded, intimate observation rather than melodrama.
Julia faces imprisonment, solitude, and guilt after the killing of her child's father while trying to care for her son.
The central dramatic engine is Julia's bond with Tomás and the demands of parenting within an Argentine prison.
Films like Lion's Den, and why
The Magdalene Sisters
shared prison drama setting, maternal struggle, institutional confinement, and grounded social realism
A Prophet
shared intimate prison setting, female solidarity, and emotionally intense institutional critique
The Headless Woman
shared Latin American social realism, morally pressured protagonists, and austere family drama
The Class
shared motherhood under extreme social constraint, restrained performances, and compassionate realism
Movie Details
- Director
- Pablo Trapero
- Release Date
- 2008-05-29
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (70)
Cast
- Martina Gusmán
- Elli Medeiros
- Rodrigo Santoro
- Laura García
- Tomás Plotinsky
- Leonardo Sauma
- Walter Cignoli
- Roberto Maciel
- Clara Sajnovetzky
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lion's Den about?
- A young Argentine mother must raise her newborn inside prison while guilt, isolation, and an unforgiving justice system close around them.
- What is Lion's Den like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lion's Den as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lion's Den violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Lion's Den as mild.
- What did critics think of Lion's Den?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a powerful, intimate prison drama elevated by Martina Gusmán's performance and its unsentimental treatment of motherhood and incarceration.
- Which films are like Lion's Den?
- Films with a similar feel include The Magdalene Sisters, A Prophet, The Headless Woman, and The Class.
- How long is Lion's Den?
- Lion's Den runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lion's Den?
- In United States, Lion's Den streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel.
