The Bad Intentions

The 1980s in Peru were marked by political violence and economic instability. The story uses the era to frame Cayetana's isolation amid family drama and national turmoil. Sirens, evacuations, and shifting loyalties echo the mounting tension outside the family walls.

Set in a gated home on the outskirts of Lima, the film follows a privileged childhood shadowed by neglect and parental turmoil. The daily life is managed by servants and a chauffeur, illustrating a wealth gap set against Peru's wider upheaval. The setting contrasts the security of an enclosed estate with the volatility of the era outside.

💔 Family and Belonging

The film centers on Cayetana’s desperate need for affection within a fractured household. It probes how privilege cannot shield a child from emotional neglect or the ache of being unseen. The slow withdrawal of love triggers a search for belonging that threads through every scene. The story suggests that true belonging may emerge only through understanding and care, not status.

🌧️ Loneliness

Cayetana drifts through home and school with a quiet, isolating loneliness. The cousin Jimena offers a fragile bridge to companionship, yet their bond is fragile against the larger family turmoil. The film uses weather, distance, and silences to map the inner weather of a child who feels unseen by the adults around her. Loneliness here is a lens on a child's resilience and need for touch and trust.

🎭 Jealousy and Perception

The arrival of a new baby intensifies Cayetana’s jealousy as attention shifts within the household. The child's gaze becomes a tool to test family loyalties and perceptions, exposing the fragility of maternal love and the pressure to perform as a 'good child.' The theme explores how appearances and expectations mask complex emotions. Envy becomes a catalyst for a pivotal moment of clarity near the end.

🕰️ Class and Privilege

Privilege isolates Cayetana from ordinary experiences and emotional availability. The film contrasts ornate interiors and servitude with a country in turmoil, highlighting how wealth can coexist with emotional neglect. The private world of the mansion becomes a crucible where memory, guilt, and longing brew into a coming-of-age moment. Through this lens, the story questions what family identity means beyond status.