Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Argentina 1985’ on Amazon Prime Video, A Rousing Pro-Democracy Legal Drama

Democracy is in retreat across the globe right now, so it warms the heart to watch an unapologetically virtuous film like Santiago Mitre’s Prime original Argentina, 1985. This inspiring true story about the first civilian justice convicting a military dictatorship uses the structure of a trial to demonstrate the tough work of preserving freedom. No advanced knowledge of Argentinian history is required to get swept up in this film – just a desire to see accountability.

ARGENTINA, 1985: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Despite what the title Argentina, 1985 might imply, the film picks up shortly after the end of the country’s military dictatorship in 1983. As a country clings tentatively to its re-established democracy, the question lingers about how to punish those involved with the previous regime’s crimes. The members of the junta insist they can only be held to account by a military tribunal, but Argentina’s new president makes the bold decision to hold their trial in a civilian court – the first, and still only, successful example.

That enormous task falls on seasoned prosecutor Julio César Strassera (Ricardo Darín), who’s unsure from the start if he’s more scared of whether the trial won’t happen … or if it will, leaving him with the responsibility to deliver the verdict on behalf of his hurting country. He quickly realizes his traditional cast of colleagues was too cozy with the previous fascist leaders, requiring him to tap into a younger bench of lawyers led by Luis Moreno Ocampo (Peter Lanzani). “Strassera’s Kids,” as the Argentine media comes to call them, doggedly compiled over 700 cases to present the crimes of the dictatorship. But even still, will that be enough to win over the judges – or a skeptical public?

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Argentina, 1985 operates along the same fact-driven wavelength of any legal drama, but it particularly recalls films where something more than just a person is on trial. Think Bridge of Spies, where a legal battle becomes another proxy battlefield in the Cold War. Other films in the same vein include 22 July, where the trial for Norway’s racist mass shooting centers on white nationalism, or Denial, where prosecuting a Holocaust denier requires making the affirmative case that those events happened. The film’s rabble-rousing climax also recalls the cheerleading for democratic values of Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator, his searing satire of Adolf Hitler.

Performance Worth Watching: If you’ve seen any contemporary cinema coming out of Argentina, chances are you recognize leading man Ricardo Darín. As the lead prosecutor forced to overcome his fears to hold his country’s military junta accountable, he gets one of his meatiest roles. The movie lives or dies with Strassera’s character arc, which mirrors the entire prosecution’s journey from weary hesitation to assertive argumentation. Darín brings a world-weary soulfulness that provides a micro-level entry point to a macro-level story.

Memorable Dialogue: “History was not made by guys like me,” Strassera ironically tells a confidante early in the film. His false modesty is wildly disproven by the events of Argentina, 1985, which require a coalition of humble public servants to unite for democracy and justice. (Had to choose this line, too, because Strassera’s rousing final speech is too big and long to put here.)

Sex and Skin: The only briefs you’re seeing here are legal ones.

Our Take: Argentina, 1985 makes a compelling case, and not just in presenting the one its great legal minds do. Co-writer and director Santiago Mitre delivers more than just a simple civics lesson as his film recounts, docu-drama style, the Trial of the Juntas. The film is an appeal to reckon with the crimes of the past if a country is ever to build the foundations for a stable, free future. Mitre roots his plea equally and effectively in logic and emotion, ensuring Argentina’s example for the world can be both understood and felt.

Our Call: STREAM IT! Argentina, 1985 is a gripping and engrossing look at how societies must water the tree of democracy to keep it healthy. The nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime flies by thanks to the humor and heart brought by Mitre and the cast. This is not just a lecture about the virtues of freedom but an active demonstration of why it’s worth fighting for at all.

Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance film journalist. In addition to Decider, his work has also appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, Little White Lies and many other outlets. Some day soon, everyone will realize how right he is about Spring Breakers.