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The Boss: Anatomy of a Crime

Name: The Boss: Anatomy of a Crime
Director: Sebastián Schindel
Released: 2014
Duration: 98 min

Representation Score

3.6/10

Limited

2014

Director

Sebastián Schindel

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Sebastián Schindel’s film is a rigorous, hyper-realistic exploration of systemic power. It avoids traditional identity-based representation, focusing instead on sociological critiques of institutional authority and capitalist exploitation. The film excels by deconstructing the relationship between laborers and predatory employers, framing the protagonist's actions as the inevitable result of a corrupt socio-economic system. However, it remains tied to traditional social frameworks, lacking visibility for LGBTQ+ identities and offering limited ability to act to female characters.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Boss: Anatomy of a Crime have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film adheres to a traditional social framework and does not include any visibility for LGBTQ+ identities or non-binary gender narratives.

How does The Boss: Anatomy of a Crime portray gender?

Fair

The film portrays a strict gender hierarchy where the protagonist's wife is motivated by economic necessity, limiting her ability to act independently.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Boss: Anatomy of a Crime?

Good

The story explores the tension between provincial and metropolitan identities, providing a nuanced look at class-based ethnic hierarchies through the lens of a migrant from northern Argentina.

How does The Boss: Anatomy of a Crime represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative critically examines capitalist structures and the meat industry, questioning the effectiveness of state institutions in addressing systemic oppression.

Does The Boss: Anatomy of a Crime include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of physical or neurodivergent disabilities playing a central role in the story about labor exploitation.

Present on Screen

Provides a sophisticated critique of traditional Western economic hierarchies and capitalist exploitation.
Offers meaningful representation of internal migration and the tension between provincial and urban identities.
Uses hyper-realistic storytelling to expose the systemic failures of the meat industry and state institutions.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-binary gender narratives.
Female characters have limited ability to act, often defined by economic necessity rather than independent drive.
Does not address physical or neurodivergent disabilities within its narrative structure.

Official Synopsis

This incredibly disturbing story follows the exploitation of an apprentice butcher, Hermógenes, and his trial after he murders his boss in broad daylight. Hermógenes, a farmhand from northern Argentina, relocates to Buenos Aires in search of a better life for himself and his young wife, but soon finds himself at the mercy of a corrupt boss. The film is based on a thorough investigation of a real event that happened in Buenos Aires 10 years ago. Almost every scene in the film is inspired by real facts or based on well documented daily practices of the “meat business” and its environment. Both a shocking exposé of unscrupulous practices in the meat industry and a heart-wrenching personal story, El Patrón became one of the most successful Argentine films of 2014.

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