In a bustling Mexican household, seven-year-old Sol is swept up in a whirlwind of preparations for the birthday party for her father, Tona, led by her mother, aunts, and other relatives. As the day goes on, building to an event both anticipated and dreaded, Sol begins to understand the gravity of the celebration this year and watches as her family does the same.
Tótem (2023) is a drama film directed by Lila Avilés, released on September 7, 2023 with a runtime of 1h 35m. It stars Naíma Sentíes, Montserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé and Saori Gurza. Viewers rate it 6.8 out of 10 across 98 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Tótem before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Tótem.
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Trailer
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Naíma Sentíes
as Sol
Montserrat Marañon
as Nuri
Marisol Gasé
as Alejandra
Saori Gurza
as Esther
Mateo García Elizondo
as Tonatiuh
Teresa Sánchez
as Cruz
Iazua Larios
as Lucía
Alberto Amador
as Roberto
Juan Francisco Maldonado
as Napo
Marisela Villaruel
as Lúdica
Galia Mayer
as Isa
Lukas Urkijo
as Chavita
Directed by Lila Avilés, written by Lila Avilés, produced by José Tamez, Siobhan Flynn and Tatiana Graullera.
Average viewer score of 6.8/10 from 98 ratings.
I'm not usually fan of children in films, but boy - Naíma Sentíes' performance here as the young "Sol" is terrific. She, replete with multicoloured curly wig is with her mother preparing for a party to celebrate her father's birthday. What we learn from very early on is that her dad "Tona" (Mateo Garcia) is very unwell. Indeed, from the brief scene we see of him in the shower - this is a twenty-seven year old not…
Reviewed on December 5, 2023
The everyday lives of average individuals ordinarily might not make for especially engaging storytelling. However, when they’re framed within the context of extraordinary circumstances, they take on an added new dimension, as witnessed in the second offering from Mexican writer-director Lila Avilés. This warm, heartfelt, bittersweet comedy-drama tells the endearing story of a family hosting a birthday party for…
Reviewed on February 11, 2024
Summary: 9/10: Lila Avilés and her extraordinary cast, led by Naíma Sentíes, create a slice-of-life and deeply humanistic portrait of family that finds hilarity, sadness, and love in the daily rhythms of a crowded Mexican household. Lila Avilés' Totem is a hilarious and heartbreaking slice-of-life that captures something most Westerners will find utterly alien: a crowded house full of family, the beautiful chaos of…
Reviewed on July 19, 2026
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Tótem (2023) is available to stream on Criterion Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Tótem (2023) includes Naíma Sentíes, Montserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza and Mateo García Elizondo. The film was directed by Lila Avilés. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Tótem was released on September 7, 2023 and runs for 1h 35m.
Tótem (2023) holds an average rating of 6.8 out of 10 from 98 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Tótem trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
