La Cocina
Written and Directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios
Starring: Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara,  Anna Diaz, and Laura Gomez
Rated R
Runtime: 2 hours 19 minutes
Opens at the Angelika October 25, plays at Philly Film Fest Sunday at 8:15pm tickets here and will expand to Laemmle Monica November 1

by Chelsea Alexandra, Staff Writer 

Kitchens are environments that are fueled by adrenaline and chaos. There is a constant dance of trying to keep up with service demands by any means necessary. The beeping of the kitchen printer, printing order after order acts as the intense tension that begins to vibrate through a worker’s body. Long, tireless, and thankless hours are being put into service for each patron who walks through the door. Leaving no time for just a moment of peace and your work becomes your life. The kitchen becomes a pressure cooker, knowing something will go wrong looming in the air.

In La Cocina, Alonso Ruizpalacios captures this intensity with startling authenticity. The film amplifies the chaotic rhythm of service while diving into the personal stories of the people who keep the back of the house afloat. 

Directed by Ruizpalacios, La Cocina is an ensemble drama that centers around one day in the bustling kitchen of a popular restaurant in Times Square. Initially, we are introduced to Estella (Anna Diaz). After immigrating to the United States, she heads to Times Square to find a restaurant called The Grill to seek out work. Once she arrives at the restaurant, we are introduced to the front-of-house and back-of-house workers who keep The Grill afloat. After a very rocky and questionable interview, Estella is hired and reunites with Pedro (Raúl Briones), who happens to be a family friend from Mexico.

Just minutes before the lunchtime rush begins, it is discovered that money has gone missing from the till All the undocumented cooks are being investigated, and Pedro is the prime suspect because he has a reputation for being a hot-head troublemaker. Pedro is also in love with Julia (Rooney Mara) who is unable to commit to him. As the day unfolds, the front and back of the house’s stories intertwine as they try to make it out of a lunch rush unscathed. 

La Cocina brings together a kitchen staff made up of different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. A spectrum of human experience can be found just in the back of the house. Immigrants navigating an unfamiliar country for the first time, dreamers with aspirations of a life of more, and seasoned workers who know nothing but service and the daily grind are all shown to be working together. Ruizpalacios explores these dynamics with a sharp eye, balancing humor and subtly critiquing class structures. It is a powerful and dynamic meditation on labor, ambition, and the human condition all within the walls of an overstimulating, fast-paced tourist hot spot. 

Ruizpalacios’ direction is vibrant and visually bold, capturing the heat and intensity of the kitchen through rapid editing. The isolating sounds of the kitchen add to the mounting tension. There is constant clattering of pans, phones ringing off the hook, cooks barking orders, and heated screaming matches between line workers and waitresses that create an anxiety-inducing experience. 

La Cocina barely takes any breaks from the noise. However, it is when the workers brace for the coldness of the New York City air that they can take a breath and take a puff of a cigarette. It is a moment where they can just escape the noise for once and the backbreaking grind of the kitchen. The smoke break scene is one of the film's most powerful and introspective moments, offering a brief but crucial respite from the relentless intensity of the kitchen. It serves as a rare, quiet interlude where the characters step away from the chaos. Not only to catch their breath but also it allows them to let their defense down for once. 

They can share hopes, dreams, and different sides of their personality that are hidden away in the kitchen. Outside of the restaurant, they are not defined by their roles as chef, dishwasher, or prep cook; they’re simply people, united in their need for a break. It is a lighter and more vulnerable moment in La Cocina, Ruizpalacios uses this scene to contrast the frenzy of the restaurant with the stillness of the outside world. It also allows the audience to take a breath and reflect alongside the characters. 

La Cocina is not only a portrayal of the physical and emotional toll of working in the service industry but also a microcosm of larger societal issues. The film explores how people from different walks of life come together in a shared space, revealing both the connections and conflicts that arise when individuals are pushed to their limits. What truly makes La Cocina stand out is its ensemble cast. Ruizpalacios draws stunning performances from an eclectic mix of actors, each one embodying the chaos and camaraderie of a kitchen under pressure. The characters, often speaking in rapid-fire dialogue, clash and connect in ways that feel raw and authentic.

This film is beautiful, chaotic, loud, and an absolute stress bomb. With a strong ensemble cast and Ruizpalacios’ signature visual style, La Cocina is a dynamic, character-driven drama that offers a poignant look at the humanity behind the daily grind.