A Child of My Own – Review | Netflix

A CHILD OF MY OWN on Netflix is a docudrama about yet another infant abduction and false pregnancy. Or is it? Well, that depends on who you believe, though the evidence does seem quite compelling in just one direction. This is a documentary and drama hybrid, but it works here. Read our full A Child of My Own review here!

A CHILD OF MY OWN on Netflix is a docudrama from Mexico (org. title: Un hijo propio). It’s based on a real story, so it’s a true crime production and works really well in all its horror. Yes, we are – once again – getting the story about a woman faking a pregnancy and then stealing a newborn to present as her own child.

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And yet, this story has several intriguing layers as the woman claims it was an agreement, not a kidnapping or crime. Who is telling the truth, and what does the evidence show? Well, we know from the beginning that the person telling the story is in prison, which gives you an idea of where it ends. The runtime is 1 hour and 36 minutes, which is used efficiently to tell the story and show it as a fictionalized drama.

Continue reading our A Child of My Own review below. Find it on Netflix from August 13, 2026.

Desperation of one woman or a solution for two women?

A Child of My Own is the story of Alejandra, who, after having suffered multiple miscarriages, fabricates a pregnancy to make everyone happy. She got married at just 17 years old because she was pregnant. She lost the child shortly after, which was the first trauma. While they tried to conceive and succeeded, the pregnancies always resulted in a miscarriage.

While Alejandra was ready to consider adoption, he husband wasn’t.

So, when she lost yet another fetus, a stroke of luck appeared. According to Alejandra, she met a woman who didn’t want her child and needed a way out. Naturally, Alejandra offered to become its mother. A solution that benefits both women and the child.

However, was this really what happened, or did Alejandra just fake a pregnancy and then steal an infant from the maternity ward?

Dramatization done right

As much as I was not a fan of The Charles Manson Tapes using dramatization, A Child of My Own does it right. Not only do they introduce the woman portraying the real Alejandra (AKA “Ale”), but they also offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the drama part of this docudrama. As such, they really set the stage for the drama part of this production.

We meet the real Alejandra first, then see the women auditioning to portray her, and then the story begins as an actual movie. After the story has concluded, it goes back to being a “normal” true crime documentary, where we hear from the real people.

I really appreciated this style, as it was essentially a fictional movie playing separately from the documentary while still tying into the facts. Of course, we also have to remember that what we see is Alejandra’s version of events. I do, however, feel this is made very obvious as we also hear from most other people involved.

Watch A Child of My Own on Netflix now

A Child of My Own was directed by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Maite Alberdi. She was nominated in both 2021 for The Mole Agent (org. title: El agente topo) and in 2024 for The Eternal Memory (org. title: La memoria infinita). With this new Netflix docudrama, I don’t see her getting another nomination, but it is a good production and worth watching.

Not least because we also hear from Mayra, who had her child stolen. Ensuring these first-hand accounts of the events from both Alejandra and Mayra makes this work. I also like that we hear from Alejandra’s husband and mother. In honesty, I would have liked to hear more from the woman who had her infant stolen. And yet, I recognize this Netflix production isn’t about telling her story.

What makes A Child on My Own work so well is clearly also that Maite Alberdi follows Alejandra (full name Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza) for so long. She has interviewed her over the course of several years. Also, she heard her explanations again and again, which she also challenged, it appears. It is fascinating to me how people can make excuses for themselves while also being seemingly normal and bright.

Anyway, if you’re also fascinated by these heartbreaking crimes and want one where the baby and biological mother are quickly reunited, then this is safe to check out.

A Child of My Own is out on Netflix on August 13, 2026.

Details

Director: Alberdi
Cast: Ana Celeste Montalvo Peña, Luisa Guzmán, Armando Espitia