“Non Negotiable” (No Negociable, 2024) is a new Mexican crime thriller on Netflix. It follows Alan Binder, a hostage negotiator who is going through many issues in his personal life. One day, he gets caught up in a serious case that turns his life upside down. The film shows him trying to save some hostages while trying to mend his past mistakes. Directed by Juan Taratuto, it is a thrilling blend of comedy & action thriller that features some impressive acting performances.
Spoilers Ahead
Non Negotiable (No Negociable, 2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Directed by Juan Taratuto, “Non Negotiable” (No Negociable, 2024) is a new Spanish-language action thriller on Netflix. It follows a hostage negotiator trying to solve what is potentially the biggest case of his career.
What is ‘Non Negotiable’ (No Negociable, 2024) about?
“Non Negotiable” follows Alan Binder, a skilled hostage negotiator. He is going through some marital issues with his wife, Victoria (Tato Alexander), who is a psychiatrist. We meet them as Alan drives Victoria and their daughter, Juana (Isabella Arroyo), to their appointment. She speaks about Juana’s friend’s mother, who is her new client. Midway, Alan receives a call about a new hostage situation. So, he immediately changes his route without thinking about Victoria. He shows up at the crime scene and leaves her to return in their car.
Alan uses his skills to resolve the situation. However, at the last minute, Victoria needs to take Juana with her to her appointment. She tells Juana to stay inside the washroom while she finishes her appointment. However, in the middle of the appointment, the client walks into the washroom and finds Juana inside. Since Victoria breached her privacy, she can potentially lose her working license. So, she gets furious at Alan since his lack of concern for her work led to this issue, and she seeks divorce. If he wants to make amends, she expects him to join her for marriage counseling.
The Hostage Situation
Alan spends the night on the sofa. The next day, he shows up at a marriage counseling session with Victoria. She speaks about how selfish he is and points out the emergencies in her work as opposed to his hostage situations. Midway, he receives a call from a colleague about an escalating hostage situation. So, again, he leaves her and goes to work. He learns that President Francisco Araiza (Enoc Leaño) and his wife have been kidnapped. While Alan tries to identify the kidnapper, Victoria receives a call from her personal trainer, Nico (Gonzalo Vega Jr).
Nico asks Victoria to meet him immediately for an emergency. So, she rushes to see him. Only when she reaches the hotel, she realizes he tricked her into getting abducted by the same man who abducted the President. The kidnapper puts on a mask and informs Alan that his wife has been kidnapped. He also admits to knowing Alan from the past. To protect the President’s life, he asks the senate members to transfer some cash to different accounts. Alan convinces the officials to go ahead with the kidnapper’s requests until they find a way to solve this issue.
Who kidnaps President Araiza & Victoria?
Alan figures out that the kidnapper is his old friend, Vincente Zambrano (Leonardo Ortizgris). He and Alan trained together to become Special Ops officers. Back then, Vincente mishandled a risky situation. When a terrorist threatened the authorities, Vincente disregarded his superiors’ orders and shot him dead. Right then, a bomb exploded, leading to the deaths of innocent civilians. Because of this, Vincente was jailed for a couple of years. He hoped Alan would help him get out. Since Alan didn’t, Vincente tries to prove his point by kidnapping the president and keeping Victoria hostage.
Why does Vincente kidnap the president?
Vincent has been furious at the President’s lack of transparency. Since the time he won, he hasn’t fulfilled any of his promises. Besides, due to his exploitative policies, Vincente’s wife couldn’t receive the necessary cancer treatment and died. Vincent tortures the president to teach him a lesson and to get the word out on the collective discontent. In the past, Alan bailed on helping Vincente. Now, Vincente expects Alan’s assistance with his righteous mission. Later, he live streams the footage of the president tied to a chair and reveals how the president betrayed their hopes and dreams.
Non Negotiable (No Negociable, 2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Does Alan rescue the hostages from Vincente?
Vincente live streams the footage of the president’s torture and reveals how the man betrayed them. The senate team, which is supposed to protect him, decides to work on a contingency plan in case he doesn’t get rescued. They are concerned with how they will be perceived and be in charge while the president is defamed. Vincente lets Nico get out but conceals that Nico has been working for him. The senate team decides to send in the armed forces to rescue the president. Before they enter, Alan decides to sneak into the room and rescue Victoria. Alan reaches the president’s room and convinces Vincente to rescue Victoria. After she leaves, Alan helps Vincente convince the president of his demands.
The president agrees to their charges to get in prison for his crimes. Right after, Alan and Vincente leave the room with the president. As Alan reunites with Victoria, the cops arrest Vincente. Six months later, Vincente’s action creates ripples across the country, making people fight for their rights. He inadvertently begins a social movement where people ask for what is rightfully theirs. Eventually, President Araiza was also thrown into prison. In the film’s final moments, we see Vincente seeking Alan’s help and using his newfound fame and influence to help people. It appears like the filmmakers are hinting at a potential sequel to this film.
Non Negotiable (No Negociable, 2024) Movie Review:
“Non Negotiable” follows many narrative tropes of hostage situation dramas. The kidnapper considers his mission righteous, and it appears to stem from a justified anger. The person in charge of arresting the kidnapper starts believing in the kidnapper’s mission since it resonates with him. It leads to a fair share of predictable moments that follow the route that many similar dramas/thrillers have taken. Despite these limitations, “Non Negotiable” still manages to be surprisingly compelling. There is no dull moment in this thriller for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, the script (Netflix hasn’t shared the credits!) is filled with moments of organic humor that work because of Mauricio Ochmann and Tato Alexander’s remarkable chemistry. It also keeps us emotionally invested in its pathos even though politicians not fulfilling promises has become a norm and a narrative cliche. The film never blows its drama out of proportion and maintains its share of stakes with finesse. Leonardo Ortizgris stands out as a righteous hero who has risen due to his personal tragedies. Overall, it stands apart in Netflix’s redundant catalog as a film with a rather distinct voice.
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