The New Landlord is a dusty, talky relic that still has teeth

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you don't have the patience for black-and-white films where the plot hinges entirely on who owns which patch of dirt, keep walking. This isn't a thrill ride. But if you like watching people try to save face while their bank accounts are actively bleeding out, The New Landlord has a weird, prickly charm.

It’s not for the casual viewer who wants constant movement. It’s for people who enjoy seeing how much tension you can squeeze out of a single dinner table conversation. And honestly? There’s a lot of yelling.

The vibe is surprisingly heavy

There’s this one scene where a character is just staring at a document for what feels like an eternity. I checked my watch. It was probably thirty seconds, but it felt like three years of my life just evaporated into the grain of the film. It works though. You can practically smell the stale tobacco and desperation in the room.

The pacing is all over the place. One minute we’re sprinting through a major revelation about a debt, and the next we’re lingering on a shot of a hat sitting on a chair. It’s messy. I kind of loved that about it.

Odd little details

• The mustaches in this movie have more character development than the background extras.
• I’m pretty sure someone trips in the background of a serious scene, and they just left it in the final cut.
• The way they handle the transition between scenes is a bit like being slapped in the face with a wet newspaper.

If you liked the vibe of El secreto de un pecado, you might find some similar DNA here, though this feels way more tethered to the ground. It’s less about romance and more about the crushing weight of owning stuff you can’t afford.

Final thoughts?

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not going to change your life. But there’s a specific kind of stubbornness in the way these actors deliver their lines—like they’re personally offended by the script—that kept me watching until the end. Just don't expect a clean resolution. It stops almost as abruptly as the plot started, which felt like a relief, honestly. 🕰️