Midnight Family (2019) User Reviews

Note to self:

[Xstal · 6/10 · 30 April 2020]

If you find yourself in Mexico City take out the best health insurance possible but first and foremost, don't get ill or sick or have an accident or hope to rely on the private ambulance service run by mercenaries that's occasionally supported by the corrupt police but quite often not - or you might not get home or be the person you were when you left.

Great example why free market economics and health care doesn't gel as nicely in reality as it does in the text books.

Really Puts You In The Hot Seat

[truemythmedia · 7/10 · 27 February 2020]

THE FILM "Midnight Family" is an intense documentary that looks at a side of healthcare in Mexico City that I had simply never heard of before. In a city with a population of 9 million the government runs only 45 public ambulances to serve the sprawled-out denizens. Instead, the city is mostly serviced by private individuals or groups who operate ambulances which try to make up for the paltry efforts of the government to meet the emergency services needs of the people.

The film focuses on the Ochoa family who operate one of these ambulances. We accompany them on several calls which range from bloody noses to fatal accidents over the course of a couple of weeks. As we get to know the different members of the family, we see how the difficult situation affects them in many ways. Bribes, unreliable and even rare payment, and competition with other ambulance services make their jobs very difficult, exhausting, and even hazardous to safety as well as their own mental health.

MY THOUGHTS If you want a documentary that has the intensity of a major motion picture, this is it. The runs in the city are hectic and, as different realities that Ochoa's deal with on a nightly basis happen on camera, I was constantly surprised at the morass of individual roadblocks there are to people in Mexico City receiving decent medical care. I learned a lot about the many faces that corruption and poverty wear in that city even as I realized how much I take for granted the benefits we enjoy in this country.

As much as I was learning, I was never for a second bored. This movie moves but it is also exhausting. When I got out of the theater I expected that the time would be around 8:45 pm but it was only 8:00 pm. The director and editor did a great job of packing this film with tension but also presenting the feeling of exhaustion and futility that this family has to deal with. As an audience member I couldn't help but feel for these guys

Unfortunately, while I was engaged greatly by the film, it does leave something to be desired when it comes to personal connection to the characters and does little to answer questions that an audience who knows little of the Mexican Health Care System. Why are there so few ambulances, are the private ambulances capitalizing on people's suffering, and how many of the patient's complaints are actually legitimate? These questions take total buy- in to the Ochoa's situation from automatic to requiring a conscious choice.

For a documentary, the film had remarkably immersive cinematography in some fantastically difficult situations to shoot. Specific choices that were made add dramatically to that sense of reality and do much to help you forget that you are watching a finely crafted film and not simply a fly on the wall document of fact.

Overall, this film really rocked me and sparked a very interesting conversation amongst those of us who saw it but keeps the film from having the sort of staying power that makes me want to remember it for years to come. It's a film that begs the audience to not ask too many questions but take everything at face value but also presents the main subjects as people of interest but also mystery, since they present a very one sided view of the situation which always seems a little suspect.

It doesn't answer every question you will ask as you drive home and discuss the movie after seeing it but it will keep you dramatically engaged throughout with a pacing that takes you from frenetic action to exhausted waiting for the next call. As this is the actual experience of this family, perhaps that is the best compliment we can give this film, film maker, and family.

To the Ochoas and all other paramedics: You're all the real heroes.

[deloudelouvain · 8/10 · 19 March 2020]

I watched this documentary at the beginning of the Corona outbreak in Europe. I can't imagine what will happen when Mexico will get hit hard like here. It's probably only a matter of months before there will be hundreds of thousands casualties over there. What a heartbreaking but also heartwarming documentary I just watched. Heartbreaking when you see that in a big country like Mexico they still can't get rid of all those corrupt people. You would think that after so many years they would do something about it but instead you still see policemen bribing people that actually try to save peoples lives. The police is supposed to serve and protect but in a country like Mexico (well not only in Mexico) those b*stards are still allowed to play their dirty games and nobody does anything about it. They should be ashamed, I just hope one day they will need an ambulance and that they leave them rotting in the streets. Heartwarming when you see the Ochoa family doing their best to save people, most of the time they just don't get paid but they still continue trying to make a difference, trying to save people abandonned by their government. It's a hard documentary, but very well made, one that makes you think that we're so lucky not to live in a country like Mexico. I don't think we realize how lucky we are sometimes. My utter respect to the Ochoa family and all other independent paramedics that try to survive in such a corrupt country, and my utter disgust for those filthy pigs not worth being called humans.

Captivating

[Onlinefilmcritic · 9/10 · 28 March 2019]

Midnight Family is a captivating documentary. As an audience, the textual of the documentary seems to me like a interesting and successful mix of documentary and feature film. What I mean is that the content of the documentary is real thing that happened to the family and the filmmaker, while the shooting, neon-light style of lighting, storytelling and so on are quite delicate. The night scenes occupy the majority of the documentary body may be a reason as well. The director believes that there should not be a set boundary between the style of documentary and fictional film.

The documentary was shot in one-person crew. In other words, Luke Lorentzen himself. He had two shooting cameras with him. One of which was set on the car front window and the other was in the back of the car. While the director collaborated with his Mexican friend in the editing as to distance himself from the footage, as he admitted in a dialogue in Hong Kong. Because he himself witnessed those scenes, and the footage may work for him in the way that does not work for common audiences.

The director spent around a hundred days within the 2-3 years documenting the midnight family and made some follow-up shooting which at the end hold up the spiritual essence of the documentary. The director intends and manages to show audiences the undertow of the business of Mexican ambulance and the ordinary people within.

The director graduated from Stanford University.

Finally, A Documentary That Keeps You on the Edge of Your Seat

[hjart6 · 4 October 2019]

Imagine a member of your family. They were injured and they required immediate assistance. So you call for an ambulance. The ambulance showed up. Took care of your family. Drove you both to the hospital. Then they ask you for compensation. Would you be angry with them? Would you take it for granted that if you or your loved ones should fall ill or have an accident that they would get the help they need? The help they are entitled to. Why then would you pay good money for such a service?

This movie tackles this issue head on as we follow the Ochoa family, consisting of a lovable father and his, mature-for-their-age teenage sons, as they burn rubber to be the first paramedics on the scene. It emphatically delves into what it means to be part of a necessary and, what some might call, predatory occupation. Because even after charging large sums for their services, the family barely scrapes by after (required) bribes, legislation, arrests and competition make a dent on their bottom line.

Documentarian Luke Lorentzen is so close up to the action, and shoots so well the astonishing and heartbreaking scenes he encounters that this might be mistaken for a feature film. Few filmmakers would dare or even be able to come as close as Lorentzen does here, which allows him to reveal the ugliness of a system that in the end affects patients the most.

For a documentary it is a rare treat to experience something that is as entertaining as it is eye-opening, making Midnight Family something of a rarity.

Important and beautifully crafted film

[edmiller024 · 9/10 · 7 August 2019]

A mesmerizing and important documentary on a family's struggle and the broken health care system that ensnares their lives. Complicated and narratively complex, this film has stayed with me. Beautifully photographed and edited, as well.

the races are on

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 5 December 2019]

Greetings again from the darkness. It would be easy to question why a family would choose to run a private ambulance service in a city where they may or may not get paid. It's only when we know one stunning statistic that their reasoning becomes clear. In Mexico City, the government operates only 45 ambulances for a population of nearly 9 million people. Director-cinematographer-editor-producer Luke Lorentzen takes us inside the ambulance with the Ochoas as they work the streets in the business they've run for almost 20 years ... it's a business that fills a necessary gap in emergency services.

Teenager Juan is the most talkative of the crew that includes his father, a younger brother and a friend of the family. We are never certain whether their service or vehicle is properly licensed, whether they are certified, or even if actual licenses and certifications exist. What we do know is that when a medical emergency occurs, a two-plus hour wait for a city ambulance makes the private services much more appealing ... and, quite frankly, necessary.

Mr. Lorentzen serves up some terrific camera work, focusing mostly on the family rather than the patients they are providing service for. In the blink of an eye, the Ochoa family goes from utter boredom to a life-and-death situation where response time is crucial. Timing is important not just for medical reasons, but for competitive ones as well. Often there are two races occurring - the race to reach the patient, and the race against another ambulance. What is clear is that once on the scene, the Ochoas are very professional and caring ... whether it's a gunshot wound, a child that's fallen four stories from a window, or a woman who has been physically assaulted by her boyfriend (and needs a hug, as well as an ambulance).

Corruption is everywhere in this cutthroat industry. From a government who refuses proper care for its citizens to a police force accepting bribes to private ambulance services on retainer from certain hospitals. For the Ochoas, the police scanner is as vital to their business as the medical supplies in the back where the youngest brother munches chips between calls. A loudspeaker is necessary as they race through the city streets admonishing cyclists and cab drivers to get out of the way for a medical emergency.

The Ochoas treat hundreds of patients each year, and when they aren't responding to calls, they are scrubbing the blood from the vehicle or resting up for another stressful night. We hear their philosophy in providing care for those who might not otherwise get to the hospital on time, and we understand this family does care very much about their chosen profession ... this in spite of the fact that so many refuse to pay them, or simply can't afford to. It's a constant hustle that keeps the family on the edge financially, although they can hold their head up high knowing they provide a valuable service. Lorentzen's camera work ensures we feel the intensity and stress of each and every call.

Compelling Hope Found in a Broken Health Care System

[ZiaBandido · 10/10 · 2 February 2019]

Painfully heartwarming story of a family struggling to survive as paramedics and a private ambulance service in a woefully inadequate emergency medical care system in today's Mexico City; a major metropolis having only 45 ambulances for a population of 9 million. The film is a ride along story that captures the good and the worst in people in a society that barely provides health care to the majority of it's people, and who are too poor to afford whatever care they can find. There are elements of hope that come through the storytelling of the young son who is the main driver of the worn rig. Touching though sad it is, the film left me wanting to send good wishes for luck and a break or two for this compelling family.

Watched/Read-the-subtitles at MAMI Film Festival Mumbai!

[Aman_Goyal · 7/10 · 19 October 2019]

Realistically showing the real life struggles of private ambulances in Mexico City. With tons of Insert/Extreme-Closeup/Point-of-view shots, it keeps going upwards and downwards. Sometimes feel like a well written/acted family-drama, other times just a documentary, that's trying too hard.

A compelling, shocking and very human story.

[paul_anson · 9/10 · 18 July 2020]

A fly on the wall exploration of a family barely surviving by operating a private ambulance in Mexico City. The contradictions are clear. The situations heartbreaking. The humanity obvious. The film making is compelling. A wonderful documentary. Thoroughly recommend.

Not Informative

[westsideschl · 6/10 · 30 March 2021]

The collusion/payoffs between private ambulances & private hospitals (i.e. Clinics); the level of ambulance transport care; the quality of ambulance equipment; the higher rates; the often longer distances to care (when other hospitals are closer) for seriously ill patients all should have been discussed or presented to the viewer. Just adds to knowing there is probably not a single institution in Mexico (and possibly most of Central America) that isn't corrupt.

Bringing out the dead. But REAL.

[adityakripalani · 8/10 · 24 October 2019]

For fans of Scorsese's film, this'll be an even bigger treat. You feel strongly for the Ochoa family and their committment to goodness and a cause. They're all such real people. The teenager needs to talk and offload things onto his girlfriend, the uncle is full of fast food. The kid eats ruffles all the time and bunks school. Everything about is so real. And it's also thrilling because the subject is fast moving. Watched at the Mumbai Film Festival.

The hard work of paramedics

[DogePelis2015 · 7/10 · 10 January 2021]

We are shown the reality of Mexico City; a great lack of good medical service.

MAMI MFF Review: Midnight Family (5 Stars)

[nairtejas · 5/10 · 22 October 2019]

The story of private ambulances and the families that run them taking on the altruistic duty of what healthcare officials should ideally care about comes to the fore in Midnight Family, a docudrama that has brilliant performances by the actual people yet very low range when it comes to description. It gets repetitive after 30 minutes after it has shown the unorganized nature of the ambulance business in Mexico and how families fight with each other to get to a place of emergency even before the official healthcare system has shaken itself from laxity. The internal workings of these families and how they go on without a single penny for days while still helping people just out of goodwill is a great thing. Especially when the story has been told with charm and candour and crisp cinematography. Something to watch on a streaming service. TN.

(Watched and reviewed at its India premiere at the 21st MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)

This is a captivating masterpiece that must be recognised.

[charlieamargolis · 9/10 · 19 May 2020]

Midnight family is a docudrama about a family called the Ochoa's, who run a private ambulance service. The docudrama states at the beginning of the documentary that in the city of Mexico City where population is 9 million their are only 45 government ambulances this is where the Ochoa's and many other families come in as they have their own private service that stabilises the patients until they hand off the patients to the official Mexican healthcare.

This thought provoking docudrama was pure brilliance, and the director Luke Lorentzen established a medium of events that transpired and events that didn't (meaning he made up a bit of information along the way but it didn't really affect the docudrama). The docudrama outlines the Ochoa's as a family with a good nature and generally great moral compass one example is that they would go without pay for days yet they would still help the people in dire need. Throughout the docudrama Mexico's eternal struggle with emergency services is brought to light. This is contrast with the Ochoa's eternal struggle of making a decent wage as they risk everything they have to help people in life or death situations and at the same time they're trying to avoid all the corruption happening around them.

Astounding

[BigJimNoFool · 10/10 · 8 September 2020]

Terrifying madness. As a UK citizen it is unfathomable how the protection and the welfare of a countries citizens can be left in the hands of private medical care givers.

This doc is one of the most engrossing and insane things i have ever seen. Its hard to comprehend and put into words. I have huge respect for these guys out there trying to scrape a living by driving private ambulances and giving medical emergency care.

Shot beautifully, this is a must see document of our times.

Midnight Family

[lily-lorentzen · 10/10 · 4 January 2020]

Puts you right in the ambulance with the Ochoas to experience firsthand the dilemmas and issues they face. Raises some tough questions for us to examine when it comes to the healthcare, law enforcement, and the government's role and/or responsibility to the people.

and its role or responsibility to the people around issues of healthcare and law enforcement. from both the micro and macro levels of society on on government and its role , and its role or responsibility when it comes to healthcare. regarding society, government, and delve into the tough issues and questions it raises for society as a whole on both the micro and macro levels.

Criticism of the system, but I'm not thrilled with the film.

[ivanmessimilos · 5/10 · 8 May 2022]

I was surprised that this is actually a documentary. It sounds incredible that a city of 9 million inhabitants has only 45 ambulances. That is why I have experienced this film as a pure critique of the Mexican system, because it shows us all the situations that this family is facing. However, subjectively evaluating the film, I was not thrilled because it does not have a standard plot but consists of a series of situations and conversations. It's like watching an ambulance show.