Elena Knows Review – An unrelenting mother seeks answers about her daughter’s death

By Jessica Fontaine
Published: November 25, 2023
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Elena Knows Review
Elena Knows | Image via Netflix
3.5

Summary

Elena Knows emotionally details the determination of a mother to find her daughter’s killer, despite police denial of foul play and the progression of her Parkinson’s disease.

Elena Knows is an Argentinian drama film on Netflix directed by Anahí Berneri and based on the book of the same name by Claudia Piñeiro. Released on November 24, it follows Elena, a mother with Parkinson’s disease who searches for the person responsible for the sudden death of her daughter Rita.

The film sees a determined mother become a detective to find her daughter’s killer. Elena Knows doesn’t rely on action or suspense but instead is an emotional film about a mother’s love and reliving memories about the pain she unintentionally caused her daughter.

Elena Knows review and plot summary

Elena Knows opens with a loving Rita taking care of her mother Elena, whose disease is advancing. Concerns rise when Rita doesn’t pick Elena up from her appointment.

Police break the news to Elena that Rita has died, determining it to be suicide. But Elena doesn’t buy it, immediately jumping to investigate the possibility that something more sinister has happened.

While Elena struggles with her terminal diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, she is adamant about finding the truth when the police won’t help and seeks assistance from an old friend of Rita’s.

As she searches for her daughter’s killer, she is forced to confront the type of mother she was by reliving memories with Rita. These include removing a cat Rita took in, which upsets Rita, and Rita being headstrong in supporting Elena’s declining health.

Elena Knows is emotional and details the relationship between a mother with Parkinson’s disease and her daughter who does everything she can to take care of her. Although it did not have as much suspense or thrill as expected, it effectively details Elena’s journey to find how Rita died, the daily struggles of having a disability, and the memories Elena faces of the pain their relationship faced.

Is Elena Knows worth watching?

Elena Knows is worth watching because it demonstrates how far a mother will go to do right by her daughter, who committed her time and energy to care for her mother. The viewer will be intrigued by Elena’s journey of interrogating people that Rita knew and searching for clues when the people who were supposed to help her weren’t.

In addition, the film shows the burden a caregiver often feels when taking care of a sick person and the effect it may have on their mental health.

What did you think of Elena Knows on Netflix? Comment below.


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