About

Roberto Gavaldón’s La Otra is a masterpiece of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema that takes an upended approach to the “good vs evil” doppelganger convention — here, one is bad and the other much worse.

One of Mexico’s greatest screen superstars, Dolores Del Rio plays the dual role of twins: the meek manicurist Maria and the wealthy widow Magdalena. Following a murder, one sister assumes the identity of the other but finds herself caught up in the dreadful consequences of the crime. Based on a screenplay originally commissioned for Bette Davis, La Otra is a showcase for Del Rio’s range as an actor, offering two complex, competing roles in a stark contrast to the simplistic, exoticised characters she was given in Hollywood. Gavaldón captures the story’s cynical noir heart with visual aplomb, layering each scene with moody shadows as the tension grows ever thicker.

Ages 12+