27 Nights (2025) | Film Review

The Argentine film 27 Nights (27 Nights2025), directed by Daniel Hendler and inspired by the novel by Natalia Zito, transforms a real episode of elder abuse into a sensitive narrative about freedom, aging and resistance. The film, which premiered at the San Sebastián Festival and arrived on Netflix on October 17, 2025, stars veteran actress Marilú Marini, who delivers a remarkable performance as Martha Hoffman, a woman who defies the conventions of age and morality. Check out our review:

The Story of Martha Hoffman

Martha is an 83-year-old woman, rich and eccentric, whose way of living causes discomfort to her family. Widow, art collector and former dancer, she maintains an intense social life, surrounded by bohemian friends and young lovers. She spends her money freely, donates valuable belongings and refuses to follow the standard of behavior expected of an elderly woman.

The daughters, worried about their assets and convinced that their mother has lost track of reality, decide to admit her to a psychiatric clinic under dubious allegations of dementia. It is at this moment that the film’s title gains weight: the “27 nights” that Martha spends in the hospital, against her will, represent the temporary loss of her autonomy and society’s attempt to frame her free spirit.

A meeting of opposites in Netflix’s Argentine film

The plot’s turning point comes when psychiatrist Leandro Casales (played by Hendler himself) is assigned to evaluate Martha’s sanity. Initially rigid and insecure, he finds himself confronted by a woman who, despite being confined, refuses to be treated as incapable. The coexistence between the two turns into a dialogue about the right to individuality and how society imposes limits on those who age outside of the norm.

Leandro, little by little, is enveloped by the energy of Martha and her friends. In a central sequence, the doctor participates in a bohemian meeting in the warehouse that serves as the group’s meeting point, a moment in which the film abandons its clinical tone and opens up to the vitality that moves the protagonist. This relationship between the skeptic and the rebel leads the public to reflect on prejudices linked to age, mental health and personal autonomy.

A human look at old age in 27 Nights

With a script written by Hendler, Martín Mauregui and Agustina Liendo, based on an initial adaptation by Mariano Llinás, 27 Nights proposes a direct discussion: to what extent does old age nullify someone’s right to choose how to live? The film does not offer definitive answers, but it presents nuances that challenge the idea that getting older means losing control over one’s life.

The tone of the film alternates light and introspective moments, with a rhythm that reflects the duality of the story — sometimes melancholic, sometimes liberating. The soundtrack reinforces the contrast between Martha’s confinement and her desire to keep life going, even when society insists on silencing her.

Marilú Marini gives depth to the character without resorting to exaggeration. Her Martha is cunning, provocative and, above all, aware of the power play that is taking place around her. Hendler, in the role of Leandro, sustains a restrained performance, which evolves as the proximity between the two grows. The supporting cast, made up of Carla Peterson, Paula Grinszpan and Julieta Zylberberg, complements the family and institutional portrait that tries to domesticate the protagonist.

Review: is 27 Nights worth watching on Netflix?

27 Nightsfrom Netflix, stands out as a drama about freedom and aging that avoids caricature and focuses on the strength of the characters. Daniel Hendler creates a film about encounters — between generations, classes and worldviews —, guided by a woman who refuses to be silenced. At the center of it all is the question that drives the narrative: who decides when someone is “too old” to live as they want?

Lasting 1h47, 27 Nights is a work that dialogues with the present by questioning control over the body and mind, reaffirming autonomy as one of the last gestures of resistance.