Desire – Movie Review | Netflix (2/5)

DESIRE on Netflix is a steamy thriller from Mexico (org. title: Deseo). If you look at the teaser cover or watch the trailer, you’ll know what to expect. And while it delivers on both steam and thrills, the characters are very unlikable. Read our full Desire movie review here and find it on Netflix now!

DESIRE is a Netflix thriller from Mexico (org. title: Deseo). The scene opens with a woman cleaning around an indoor pool and suddenly coming across a lot of blood. Oh yes, someone has died, and now we go back in time to see how it all ended fatally.

I am always curious about these steamy thrillers, and they can surprise you by actually having a decent plot and interesting characters. One such example was the Prime Video series 56 Days, which I ended up really enjoying. The same cannot be said for this new movie, which annoyed me for the most part. Unfortunately.

Continue reading our Desire movie review below. Find it on Netflix now.

Desire and power in one big mess

Desire (org. title: Deseo) is as much about power and drama as it is desire, really. In fact, too much of this storyline felt like something out of a telenovela. And not even a particularly good or entertaining telenovela.

We meet Lucero (Ludwika Paleta), a successful lawyer, married for 20 years, and with two kids. Her life seems to be exactly as she wants, but we all know looks can be deceiving. Also, she clearly has difficulty buttoning her very nice shirts, so her bra isn’t always showing.

As a result, Lucero soon becomes involved with her daughter’s new swim coach, Matías (Óscar Casas). He’s from Spain, used to compete in the Olympics as a swimmer, and has a rocking body (of course). Needless to say, there’s much more to this story than just a passionate affair that comes out of seemingly nowhere.

It soon turns out to have tragic consequences. The kind that threatens everything in her life and will lead to even bigger problems.

Want steamy scenes? Well, you’ll get ’em

I’m not a particularly difficult viewer with extremely high standards for a steamy thriller. In fact, I just want a decent plot and a few likable characters. That’s often enough for me to be at least moderately entertained. Is that really too much to ask for?

I don’t think so.

Nor should it be out of what one should expect.

With Desire, the plot is in the title, and yet there’s also the whole crime and murder aspect of it. I suppose that part works okay, ultimately, but I did not like any of the characters. They are, in a word, unlikable. Now, for someone like me, that is simply unacceptable.

If I don’t care who dies or who kills, then what’s the point? I mean, I won’t care about who’s having affairs or who might get hurt when everyone is being a jerk in some way. As such, the movie lost me early on, and it never recovered.

Watch Desire on Netflix now

Desire comes from director Teresa Simone, and this is her feature film debut. Again, I am not a fan of the story, but the production quality is impressive, and everything from the pace to the visuals works just fine. As such, I can’t say that she didn’t do a good job with this movie.

My issue is with the story and (mostly) the characters. Now, those elements come from screenwriters Giulia Cardamone and Vanessa Miklos. They’ve worked on shorts as writers before, but that seems to be it.

Desire has already been out in theaters in both Mexico and Spain. And I can understand why, as these kinds of steamy thrillers do tend to sell tickets. I don’t know if that was the case for this movie, but I’m sure it’ll get plenty of views on Netflix.

For me, there were no real surprises in this Mexican Netflix thriller. Not if you pay attention. But hey, if you’re looking for something to just relax with (classic Netflix and Chill), then have at it. The runtime is just 98 minutes, which is too long, but not that bad for the twists and turns along the way.

Desire is out on Netflix from July 17, 2026.

Details

Director: Teresa Simone
Screenwriters: Giulia Cardamone, Vanessa Miklos
Cast: Ludwika Paleta, Óscar Casas, José María Yázpik