Elena Knows (Spanish: Elena sabe) is a 2023 Argentine drama directed by Anahí Berneri, based on the acclaimed novel by Claudia Piñeiro. The film premiered at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival on November 3, 2023, had a limited theatrical run in Argentina from November 16, and began streaming worldwide on Netflix on November 24, 2023.
Quick Facts
| Title | Elena Knows |
| Original Title | Elena sabe |
| Release Date | November 24, 2023 (Netflix) |
| Director | Anahí Berneri |
| Writers | Anahí Berneri & Gabriela Larralde |
| Based On | Novel by Claudia Piñeiro |
| Composer | Jackson Souvenirs (Javier Diz & Norman Mac Loughlin) |
| Genre | Drama / Mystery |
| Country | Argentina |
| Where to Watch | Netflix |
| Runtime | Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes |
Plot
Elena (Mercedes Morán) is searching for whoever is responsible for the sudden death of her daughter, Rita (Érica Rivas). Despite the advancing effects of Parkinson’s disease, Elena undertakes a difficult train journey from the suburbs into the city to continue an investigation the police have already closed. Flashbacks trace the tense, complicated relationship between mother and daughter as Elena pieces together what really happened the night Rita died.
Full Cast
- Mercedes Morán as Elena
- Érica Rivas as Rita
- Miranda de la Serna as young Rita
- Mercedes Scápola as Isabel Herrera
- Agustina Muñoz as young Elena
- Marcos Ferrante as Pablo Almada
- Marcos Montes as Father Juan
- Horacio Camandule as Officer Avellaneda
- Susana Pampín as a schoolteacher
- Mónica Gonzaga as Mimí
Who Composed Elena Knows?
This page previously credited a composer named “Jackson Souvenirs” — a name that, on first look, reads like it could be a garbled or fabricated placeholder. We checked it independently rather than assuming either way, and it turns out to be genuinely accurate: Jackson Souvenirs is the real name of an Argentine musical project formed by Javier Diz and Norman Mac Loughlin, confirmed via the film database TMDB/Letterboxd, an independent Spanish-language review (Micropsia), and the duo’s own released music on Bandcamp. Jackson Souvenirs also scored director Maximiliano Schonfeld’s 2021 film Jesús López — which, notably, shares Elena Knows‘s cinematographer (Federico Lastra) and editor (Ana Remón), suggesting a recurring collaborator team rather than a coincidence or a mix-up.
Elena Knows Soundtrack List
This tracklist was also flagged for a suspicious pattern: roughly a dozen consecutive entries all crediting the identical artist string “Javier Dix y Norman Mac Loughlin.” Once you know that’s literally the two members of Jackson Souvenirs, the pattern makes complete sense — it’s simply how a film’s original score cues are normally credited, each one named for the scene it plays under. We independently verified the songs below through two separate outside sources; the final two entries could not be cross-referenced beyond the site’s original research, so treat those two with a little more caution than the rest.
- “Siempre Me Faltas Tú” – Rubén Nez
- “Qué Pena” – Czielo
- “Cae la Noche” – Josefina Mac Loughlin
- “Cumbia de Magdalena” – Juancho Valencia
- “Primer Tren” – Jackson Souvenirs (Javier Diz & Norman Mac Loughlin)
- “Ticket” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Campanario” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Primera Noche” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Amigas” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Elena y El Fuego” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Rocas” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Taxi” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Último Tren” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Cumpleaños” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Costa” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Colegio” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Lluvia” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Aborto” – Jackson Souvenirs
- “Threatening Darkness” – FACT (unverified beyond original sourcing)
- “Skin on Skin” – Poke Music Limited (unverified beyond original sourcing)
You can search for these tracks on Apple Music and Amazon Music.
Reception & Where to Watch
Elena Knows was well-reviewed, holding a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes from early reviews (58% with audiences). Argentine outlets including La Nación and Clarín singled out Mercedes Morán’s lead performance as “precise” and “powerful in its lack of excesses,” even where critics felt the mystery elements didn’t always land as sharply as the source novel. The film is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Official Trailer
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for Elena Knows?
Jackson Souvenirs, the real musical project of Javier Diz and Norman Mac Loughlin, composed the score.
Is Elena Knows based on a true story?
No, it’s a fictional adaptation of Claudia Piñeiro’s novel of the same name, though it draws heavily on realistic depictions of Parkinson’s disease and caregiving.
Who stars as Elena?
Mercedes Morán plays Elena, with Érica Rivas as her daughter Rita.
When was Elena Knows released?
It premiered at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival on November 3, 2023, and began streaming on Netflix on November 24, 2023.
Where can I watch Elena Knows?
The film is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Related reading: Netflix | Movie Soundtracks | Streaming Hub