The Mud Boy

Set in 1912 Buenos Aires against the backdrop of the story of the Petiso Orejudo serial killer, the plot tracks 10-year-old boy Mateo, haunted by nightmares, and the main suspect behind a trail of brutal killings in the city.^[1]

A Spanish-Argentine co-production, the film was produced by Adivina Producciones, Iroko Films, Castelao Producciones and Televisión de Galicia, Patagonik and Pol-ka, with backing from INCAA and ICAA.^[3] The film was shot in Argentina.^[4]

The film was released theatrically in Spain on 18 May 2007.^[5][6] Distributed by Buena Vista, the opening in Argentine theatres was scheduled for 6 September 2007.^[7]

Juan Pablo Cinelli of Página/12 assessed that Algora is right to opt for fiction rather than documentary accuracy.^[8]

Jonathan Holland of Variety considered that "the excesses of the story are reined in by intelligent treatment, with thoughtful perfs, fine period atmospherics and a well-achieved sense of dread making up for occasionally clunky direction and loose scripting".^[9]

Parana Sendrós of Ámbito Financiero deemed the film to be worth your time, considering that the balance is positive "due to the way [the film] is made, the intelligence with which it tells the story, and the light it sheds on the always current issue of the treatment of children".^[10]

• List of Spanish films of 2007
• List of Argentine films of 2007