Newcomer Yalitza Aparicio

Newcomer Yalitza Aparicio makes an astonishingly natural debut as Cleo, domestic worker for a well-to-do family headed by Doctor Antonio (Fernando Grediaga), at their spacious townhouse in the Colonia Roma neighbourhood. Antonio drives a grand black Ford Galaxie that he squeezes into the house’s tiled courtyard whenever he is home, an increasingly rare event. His wife, Sofía (Marina de Tavira), is a biochemist by trade, but her life seems increasingly ruled by anxiety about her husband’s absence. Also in the house are Sofía’s children, her elderly mother and their bouncingly frustrated dog, Borras. Cleo spends her days tending to the family – looking after the kids, preparing food, constantly washing floors, dishes and clothes. She confides in best friend Adela (Nancy García), and strikes up a romance with handsome buck Fermín (Jorge Antonio Guerrero), who takes her to the park and to the movies, and indulges in naked displays of his martial arts skills. But like Antonio, Fermín proves an inconstant partner, leaving Cleo to fend for herself when things get complicated, refusing to take responsibility for his actions.