Kiss of the Spider Woman

At the tail end of the Dirty War, Molina, a flamboyant gay window dresser, is imprisoned for public indecency and shares a cell with Valentin Arregui Paz, a political dissident. Valentin is irritated by Molina's flamboyance at first, but the two men form a wary bond amid harsh prison conditions.

Valentin allows Molina to tell him the plot of his favorite Hollywood musical, The Kiss of the Spider Woman, in exchange for the possibility of parole. Molina is eager to be released to care for his ailing mother, yet he remains hesitant to betray Valentin and tries to protect him.

Molina's retelling centers on Aurora, Kendall, and Armando, weaving a tale that mirrors their prison reality. He casts himself as Kendall and Valentin as Armando, using the story to vent desires and fears.

In the story, Aurora and Kendall accompany Armando to shoot in Aurora's home village, where Aurora and Armando fall in love. The narrative also introduces Paulina and Johnny Desiderio, foreshadowing danger.

Tensions rise when Kendall betrays the lovers by signaling Johnny Desiderio, escalating the threat to Armando and Aurora. The betrayal intensifies the dangers they face in the village.

Paulina assists Aurora and Armando in fleeing into the jungle to escape Johnny's pursuit. The trio's escape leads them toward the Spider Woman's realm where further trials await.

The group encounters the Spider Woman, who protects the village through sacrifice. When Armando is threatened, Kendall sacrifices himself to save him.

As anti-government protests grow louder, the warden approves Molina's parole. The two men admit their love and become lovers the night before Molina's release.

On the day of release, Molina offers to pass information to Valentin's group, and Valentin agrees to the plan. They share a bittersweet farewell, acknowledging the impending separation.

Molina is reunited with his mother and family after release, while the warden secretly has him tailed to lure Valentin's group. The surveillance hints at a fragile, dangerous post-release life.

Molina contacts Valentin's colleagues and passes on information in a cinema. During the escape that follows, guards attack; Molina is shot by one of Valentin's comrades as he lies dying, and he envisions the Spider Woman.

Valentin discovers Molina's death when guards leave a newspaper in his prison cell, leaving him grief-stricken as he contemplates his own uncertain future.

In October 1983, the military junta is toppled and Valentin is freed along with other prisoners. He reunites with his family and, holding Molina's red scarf, proclaims that they made it: we made it, my love.