Unlike thrillers that handle obsession through violence or stalking, Catarina and the Others approaches the subject through the lens of sadness and voyeurism. It is a film about looking but not touching, about being an "other" in a world where everyone else seems to belong.
6.8/10 – but that number is a lie. For the right viewer, it is a 10. For the wrong viewer, it is a 2. You have to decide which one you are. catarina and the others 2011 imdb
Overall impression A quietly affecting, well-acted drama that rewards patience and attention to small human details, though it may frustrate viewers wanting more narrative clarity or momentum. Unlike thrillers that handle obsession through violence or
However, the "Others" in the title are the ghosts of modern existence: the colleagues who don't understand her, the family she avoids, the former lovers who exist only in voicemails, and the strangers on the bus who reflect her own isolation back at her. For the right viewer, it is a 10
Badalo employs long, static takes reminiscent of Chantal Akerman or Pedro Costa. There is a five-minute sequence where Catarina simply cleans her kitchen counter. On another director’s reel, this would be pretentious. Here, it is agonizing because we realize she is cleaning to avoid calling her dying father. That is the film’s magic: the mundane becomes monstrous.
In 2011, Catarina was a specifically Portuguese millennial lost in austerity. In 2024/2025, she is every young professional in every global city. The "others" are the algorithm, the gig economy, the hostile architecture of our cities, and the social media feeds that connect us digitally while isolating us physically.