The Argentine dramatic comedy 27 Nights (originally titled 27 Noches) premieres on Netflix after its successful debut at the opening ceremony of the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival. Daniel Hendler (Norberto apenas tarde / El candidato), the acclaimed Uruguayan director, teamed up with renowned producer Santiago Mitre (Argentina, 1985) to bring a fascinating and disturbing story inspired by real events to the big screen.
In 2005, at the age of 86, writer, visual artist, and patron Natalia Kohen (Mendoza province, 1919 – Buenos Aires 2022) spent 27 nights in a psychiatric clinic as a result of a lawsuit filed by her daughters, Nora and Claudia, who accused her of squandering the family inheritance left by her husband, who had devoted himself tirelessly to the pharmaceutical industry.
The fact is that, with a suspicious diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia signed by a neurologist, the elderly woman was admitted against her will.
This story, which caused a huge media scandal at the time, served as inspiration for the 2021 novel Veintisiete noches, written by Natalia Zito, and now, also serves as inspiration for Daniel Hendler’s film. Like the novel, the Netflix production reconstructs, with modified names, the real case of the talented artist who shook Argentine society.
The plot of the film 27 Nights follows the story of Martha Hoffman (Marilú Marini), an eccentric and wealthy patron who, despite her advanced age, leads a very active life and faces a tough battle against her own daughters for her independence and happiness. Her daughters are concerned about the extravagant and “libertine” behavior of the octogenarian woman, which includes squandering the family fortune, a sexually active life, and the occasional scandal.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the judge presiding over the case intends to resolve it quickly due to external pressures. However, his plans are thwarted when he is forced to call in an expert witness to determine whether Martha Hoffman is suffering from dementia or whether her daughters are trying to control her fortune.
Then, the dedicated Leandro Casares (Daniel Hendler co-stars and directs) enters the scene, a committed expert who embarks on the task of uncovering the truth. As expected, Leandro approaches the case with the version of Martha’s daughters and the psychiatrists’ reports, which describe her as a woman with mental health problems.
However, the octogenarian’s obvious sharpness and vitality force him to rethink everything he has been told.
At first, the interaction between Leandro and Martha is limited to professional interviews and is colored by the judicial investigation, but soon an unlikely and powerful connection emerges between them, which reveals itself to be the true heart of the film. Through their deep and curious conversations, Leandro gradually learns a series of lessons that go beyond his work and change his view of “normality,” individual freedom, and family control.
In this sense, Martha’s enthusiasm and determination to live her final years as fully as possible are a great lesson for Leandro and viewers alike. The fact is that this woman is a shining example that age is no barrier to continuing to explore and feel intensely, even if it means challenging society’s norms.
“Her character, [Martha], is subject to social pressure, that ‘grandparentism’ that seeks to confine older adults to the image of the harmless grandparent. It distances them from the possibility of pleasure, desire, even technology. Without the character knowing it, perhaps, Martha is a militant of desire and action, someone who refuses to respond to that mandate. And that generates terror around her,” the film’s director recently told Página 12.
The compelling chemistry between actors Marilú Marini and Daniel Hendler is one of the highlights of 27 Nights. The genuine connection between the formal expert and the irreverent old woman drives the film forward and makes the audience deeply invested in the characters’ fate.
Far from developing an overly serious or judgmental drama, Hendler and his screenwriters — Mariano Llinás, Agustina Liendo, and Martín Mauregui — opt for tragicomedy as a genre and tool for analysis and criticism. With dark humor and subtle irony, 27 Nights examines sensitive and universal themes such as personal autonomy, prejudice against old age, mental health, and greed in family relationships.
This is one of those films that leaves us thinking about the marginalization of the elderly long after the credits disappear from the screen.
Our verdict
If you enjoy stories based on real events and family dramas, you will find 27 Nights to be worthy of your attention.
Although the film is decidedly old-fashioned, it has a clever script (with twisted touches of humor), natural dialogue, fluid images, and an unbeatable cast, making it a must-see.
This dramatic comedy, which ultimately asks us who determines how old age should be lived?, can entertain and move all types of audiences, but especially older adults, who are not usually the target audience for comedies.