Problemista
Directed by Julio Torres · 2023 ·
Problemista (2023) earns a 73% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.
Calculated from 4 available inputs: Celluloid editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown separately and never changes the composite. See how we calculate scores.
4-input transparent breakdown
🏆 1 nomination
A24 Where to watch
Streaming availability varies by region — currently on Netflix in the United Kingdom. Check local listings for your region.
Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home
Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home
Where to watch Problemista by country
| Country | Streaming on |
|---|---|
| Indonesia | Prime Video |
| Malaysia | Prime Video |
| Nigeria | Prime Video |
| Philippines | Prime Video |
| South Africa | Prime Video |
| Thailand | Prime Video |
| Turkey | Netflix |
| United Kingdom | Netflix |
Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.
Why this score?
- Celluloid's editorial rating is positive (85/100).
- General viewers mostly liked it (84%).
- Metascore is generally favorable (68/100).
- Celluloid Score 73% combines 4 verified rating inputs; audience sentiment is shown separately.
Best for
- Short runtime — easy weeknight watch
Not ideal for
- Viewers who only watch top-tier, 90%+ rated films
Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy
Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Is Problemista worth watching?
Yes — Problemista earns a 73% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.
Celluloid Verdict
Julio Torres turns immigration bureaucracy into an inventive, prickly fantasy powered by distinctive visual wit and Tilda Swinton's fearless performance.
Celluloid editorial verdict
Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.
What is Problemista about?
An aspiring toy designer from El Salvador races to protect his US work visa by assisting an unpredictable New York art-world outcast, entering a bureaucratic maze as surreal as his own imagination.
Watch the Trailer
Critic Reviews
Problemista Review: The American Dream as a Surreal Bureaucratic Nightmare
★★★★☆
Julio Torres's Problemista renders the immigrant's fight for a US visa as a whimsical, anxiety-drenched fairy tale — a singular comic vision with Tilda Swinton as a monstrous art-world gorgon, equal parts absurd and quietly furious.
A wholly original comic voice arriving fully formed — inventive, melancholy and very funny. Julio Torres is a genuine talent.
Problemista stills
Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.
Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.
Reader takes
No reader takes published yet — be the first helpful voice.
More Like This
Ranked by genre overlap and Celluloid Score — full movies like Problemista page.
SXSW 2026 Our Hero, Balthazar
Drama, Comedy · 1h 40m
Featured The Truman Show
Comedy, Drama · 1h 43m
FeaturedSundance 2025 Come See Me in the Good Light
Comedy, Drama · 1h 55m
FeaturedShanghai 2018 Dying to Survive
Drama, Comedy · 1h 57m