Hasta los dientes (3/5) – Netflix Documentary Review

HASTA LOS DIENTES is a new true crime documentary on Netflix. While it runs a bit long, it features a fascinating and scary true story. Well worth your time if you enjoy documentaries – on IMDb under Armed to the Teeth. Read more in our Hasta los dientes review and watch it on Netflix!

Hasta los dientes is a new documentary on Netflix. It’s from Mexico and does also take place in Mexico, but if you want to look up the documentary on IMDb, you should probably look for the English title Armed to the Teeth.

Whatever language the title is in, it is very appropriate as you will come to discover when watching this on Netflix.

I feel it runs a bit too long and I’m not crazy about the way it begins. I do however understand why is starts out slow and builds up to the main event. It just wasn’t the ideal way for me, but it takes nothing away from how interesting, scary and important this true story is.

Read more in our full Hasta los dientes review below.

#TodosSomosJavieryJorge

The Hasta los dientes documentary begins with the families of Javier and Jorge talking about them. We hear about their life up until going to Monterrey Tech and get a good idea about the two young men. 

Basically, they were very intelligent and hard working. Nerds and proud of it – as they should be. 

Now, because I knew what this documentary was about, I could understand the need to introduce Javier and Jorge properly. That way, it would hit a lot harder when you discover the senseless way they lost their lives. And the despicable way the Mexican army tried to cover up their mistakes.

Be sure to check out: Our review of a documentary series on Netflix with a similar topic titled Killer Ratings here >

However, it does mean that the documentary doesn’t actually start talking about the topic of the documentary until 20 minutes in. Sure, this is fine and I understand why, but I also fear some people will get distracted and disengaged. 

Please don’t let this happen, if you watch Hasta los dientes. It is well worth your time and the story is dealt with in a very sober and direct way. You will hear from various witnesses who talk about what happened very frankly. Some of them even have video evidence from the night in question.

It’s scary cause it’s true!

This time around, the new documentary on Netflix is scary because it could have happened to anyone. Sure, this is the case in several true story documentaries, but in Hasta los dientes is does go a bit deeper.

Not only are two young students killed, they are stripped of their identities and labeled hitmen.

Meanwhile, their families are told that they’re simply missing. And this is probably the way the story was supposed to have ended. Only because everyone is so incompetent (or maybe even indifferent since there are no consequences), did the family discover the truth.

How can you not feel for the families of these two young men, who were by all accounts, good people?! Hopefully you can’t, which is why this documentary is so important. While this is happening in Mexico, it definitely happens other places as well. It just depends on whether those behind the injustice can get away with it. 

Watch Hasta los dientes on Netflix

To me, a good true crime documentary is often a lot more scary than any horror movie. Maybe that’s why we’ve started covering more of them here on Heaven of Horror. Especially since you guys seem to like them just as much.

You might also like: Our review of The Alcàsser Murders documentary series on Netflix >

Hasta los dientes was directed by Alberto Saúl Arnaut Estrada. This is his first time directing and his first credit of working on a feature documentary. Alberto Saúl Arnaut Estrada did work as a cinematographer on the documentary short Madre from 2014. Other than that, this is his only credit on IMDb.

The writer working on this documentary is Pedro G. García who has quite a bit of experience. This is the third documentary feature he has written and he has edited a lot of both feature films and documentaries this past decade. 

If you like true crime documentaries that focus on the facts and the people involved, then Hasta los dientes should be for you.

Hasta los dientes is out on Netflix in the US, Australia, South Africa and other countries from August 13, 2019.

Details

Director: Alberto Saúl Arnaut Estrada
Writer: Pedro G. García

Plot

This documentary follows the controversy surrounding the 2010 murders of two students, who were framed as criminals and killed by the Mexican military.