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A Child of My Own

Play trailer Poster for A Child of My Own Aug 2026 1h 36m Documentary Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 16 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
After experiencing multiple miscarriages and the societal shame that comes with it, recently married Alejandra fakes a pregnancy. What starts as an elaborate lie turns into a complex charade that threatens to upend her life and relationship, and ultimately unleashes a media scandal that shakes the entire country. In A Child of My Own, Oscar nominated documentary filmmaker Maite Alberdi takes a uniquely intimate look at the incident through the words of those who lived it, examining the crushing weight of societal expectations, the elusive nature of truth, and the enduring power of family.
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A Child of My Own

Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide Observer (UK) Aug 10
This is a fascinating true crime feature, but it is let down by a slippery, evasive quality in the film-making, which combines clunky and rather manipulative dramatic recreations with interviews with real-life players. Go to Full Review
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh The Times (UK) Aug 7
3/5
Such stranger-than-fiction stories are Netflix catnip. But the Chilean director Maite Alberdi treats this one with the signature, boundary-blurring approach that earned her Oscar nominations for The Mole Agent (2020) and The Eternal Memory (2023). Go to Full Review
Jonathan Romney Financial Times Aug 6
4/5
This is a fascinating film, and one that you might find highly entertaining against your better judgment (and you can bet Alberdi wants us to feel uncomfortable about that). Go to Full Review
Carla Hay Culture Mix 2d
A Child of My Own (about a notorious 2009 baby kidnapping case in Mexico) takes a creative risk of having a dramatic re-enactment format in the first part of the movie and a documentary format in the second part. The results are mixed but watchable. Go to Full Review
John Serba Decider 5d
A Child of My Own is so thoughtful in its approach to true crime, it risks not being a “true crime documentary” at all. That’s a good thing, of course. Go to Full Review
Karina Adelgaard Heaven of Horror 6d
3/5
...I really appreciated this style, as it was essentially a fictional movie playing separately from the documentary while still tying into the facts. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch 2d A Child of My Own is more of a documentary-style film, and I ultimately found it lacking the impact and emotional weight I expected. The biggest issue is that the film plays things far too safely. There are moments where it feels like the story is building toward something significant, only to pull back and deliver very little. That became frustrating because I kept waiting for the narrative to become more compelling or emotionally powerful. The storytelling also struggles to find the right balance. Instead of feeling like a fully developed cinematic story, it often feels like I am simply observing a documentary unfold. I wanted more character development, stronger emotional connections, and a narrative that gave me a reason to become fully invested. The individual elements are there, but they never completely come together. Ultimately, A Child of My Own left me feeling flat when I was hoping for something much more impactful and memorable. I wanted it to take more chances, frankly See more Joshua M @Flameon 2d It is an interesting story of societal expectations and psychology. It's a little hard to watch at times. I thought the format worked well. It could have been a little shorter. See more Sarah B @RT15453473 4d Interesting concept but overall enjoyed the doc version more See more Kevin C @kevcashmoney 4d It was fine, but I thought it was alittle lack luster. Some parts were interesting but overall I felt like it dragged on. See more Read all reviews
A Child of My Own

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Movie Info

Synopsis After experiencing multiple miscarriages and the societal shame that comes with it, recently married Alejandra fakes a pregnancy. What starts as an elaborate lie turns into a complex charade that threatens to upend her life and relationship, and ultimately unleashes a media scandal that shakes the entire country. In A Child of My Own, Oscar nominated documentary filmmaker Maite Alberdi takes a uniquely intimate look at the incident through the words of those who lived it, examining the crushing weight of societal expectations, the elusive nature of truth, and the enduring power of family.
Director
Maite Alberdi
Producer
Sandra Godínez
Screenwriter
Julian Loyola, Esteban Student, Julian Loyola, Esteban Student
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Gato Grande
Genre
Documentary, Biography
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 7, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 13, 2026
Runtime
1h 36m
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