Disturbing if politically urgent, Franco takes class warfare to its violent extreme in this Mexican treatise on the consequences of an imagined collapse of civilised society, where the rich and powerful face the wrath of the working-class, and military autocracy becomes the answer to anarchy.
Review #2,645
Dir. Michel Franco
2020 | Mexico | Drama | 86 min | 2.39:1 | Spanish & English
M18 (passed clean) for disturbing and violent content, rape, graphic nudity, and language
Cast: Naian Gonzalez Norvind, Diego Boneta, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Monica del Carmen, Eligio Melendez
Plot: In contemporary Mexico City, a lavish high society wedding is interrupted by violent rioters who take the house by siege. It soon becomes apparent that this seemingly random attack is part of a violent, nationwide uprising, as one political system collapses and a more harrowing replacement arises.
Awards: Won Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize & Leoncino d’Oro Agiscuola Award (Venice)
International Sales: The Match Factory
Accessibility Index
Subject Matter: Slightly Mature/Disturbing – Collapse of Civilised Society; Anarchy; Military Dictatorship; Class Warfare
Narrative Style: Slightly Complex
Pace: Slightly Slow
Audience Type: General Arthouse
Viewed: MUBI
Spoilers: No
There has been so much controversy in Mexico over the film, particularly towards its trailer when it was first released, with many criticising its reductive treatment of class through the perpetuation of stereotypes surrounding skin colour.
I guess as one of his country’s most provocative filmmakers, Michel Franco probably doesn’t give a hoot. New Order is a sensational work about class warfare, and Franco takes it to its violent extreme, much more radical than, say, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019), which would make a good thematic companion piece.
In New Order, Franco shows us the consequences of an imagined collapse of civilised society. A wedding hosted by a rich family in their luxurious house is suddenly invaded by a gang of vicious working-class folks. As the wealthy and powerful quake in fear, their house servants join in to steal their valuables.
“Remain calm and await further instructions.”
This episode, so remarkably directed with mounting dread and tension, puts us in the shoes of the elites. More critically, Franco puts us in a neutral position, neither siding with the haves nor have-nots.
The wrath of the working-class is also met with the brutality of military autocracy, where the military takes advantage of societal chaos and becomes the answer to anarchy. Power is such a frightful thing when it is in the wrong hands.
In a dialogue with MUBI, Franco reminds us that certain countries in the world, and not just the underdeveloped ones, are closer to social implosion than Mexico.
Disturbing if politically urgent, New Order stirs our anxieties like no other film in recent years—its Grand Jury Prize win at Venice is certainly most deserving.
Grade: A-
Trailer:
Eternality Tan 
[…] most fascinating auteurs operating today, Franco is best known for the radical and controversial New Order (2020) but he adopts a more functional style here—nothing quite stands out in terms of its visual […]
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