Identifying Features
2020 · 95 min · Director: Fernanda Valadez
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Months after Jesús (Juan Jesús Varela) set out on foot for the U.S. with a friend from their rural town in Guanajuato, Magdalena (Mercedes Hernandez) has lost contact with her beloved adolescent son. Determined to unravel his fate, Magdalena soon finds herself in over her head, entangled in an expansive crime syndicate and labyrinth of disorienting lies on an increasingly surreal journey to uncover the truth. At the mercy of those with the power and courage to help her find closure, Magdalena's path fortuitously converges with that of Miguel (David Illescas), a young man not unlike her son Jesús, returning from U.S. deportation. Ensconced within the realm of magical-realism while exhibiting remarkable restraint, IDENTIFYING FEATURES is an impressive, symbolic re-imagining of a culture adrift and seeking spiritual reunification. Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Audience and Screenplay Awards at the Sundance Film Festival.
Emotional fingerprint
Identifying Features (2020) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Empathy 35%, Anxiety 25%, Sadness 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Empathy, Anxiety, Sadness. Genres: Drama. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Empathy, Anxiety and Sadness. Its IMDb rating of 7.3/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 71/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Sadness
- Empathy
- Disturbing
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Sadness | Empathy | Disturbing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Empathy | 60 % | 48 % | 58 % | 28 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Sadness | 69 % | 63 % | 65 % | 30 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Sadness | 77 % | 74 % | 71 % | 38 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 17′ | Sadness | 80 % | 74 % | 74 % | 54 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 21′ | Sadness | 81 % | 76 % | 77 % | 61 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Sadness | 74 % | 69 % | 71 % | 49 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 31′ | Empathy | 63 % | 45 % | 54 % | 39 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Tension | 65 % | 36 % | 48 % | 50 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Tension | 60 % | 35 % | 46 % | 45 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 45′ | Hope | 51 % | 25 % | 39 % | 31 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 50′ | Tension | 57 % | 23 % | 41 % | 34 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 55′ | Empathy | 60 % | 29 % | 53 % | 23 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 59′ | Empathy | 63 % | 44 % | 61 % | 16 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 64′ | Sadness | 68 % | 56 % | 64 % | 30 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 69′ | Tension | 69 % | 56 % | 60 % | 48 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Disturbing | 73 % | 58 % | 58 % | 63 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Empathy | 82 % | 67 % | 73 % | 52 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 88′ | Disturbing | 87 % | 75 % | 76 % | 68 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 93′ | Sadness | 86 % | 80 % | 77 % | 65 % |
Icarus
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Identifying Features. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Miguel
Olivia
Rigo
Chuya
Public Ministry Agent
Pedro
Nurse
Forensic Chemist
State Agent
Forensic Technician
Young Diego
ICE Agent
Central Bus Salesperson
Secretary for Bus Company
Migrant House Manager
Regis
Regis (voice)
Armed Man at Roadblock
Details
- Directed by
- Fernanda Valadez
- Written by
- Fernanda Valadez, Astrid Rondero
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2020
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Country
- Mexico, Spain
- Genres
- Drama
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Empathy
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
Rent
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