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The Bar
El bar
2017 102 min Spain 18+
★6.9
Horror, Thriller, Comedy
Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Trailers
Description
In downtown Madrid, a series of mysterious gunshots trap a motley assortment of people in a decrepit bar.
Budget:
$6.05M
Worldwide:
$3.66M
Starring
Blanca Suárez
Actor
Mario Casas
Actor
Carmen Machi
Actor
Awards
Goya Awards 2018
— Best Sound
Key opinion
El bar is a chaotic, enclosed-space thriller that effectively builds initial tension and satire but struggles to maintain its momentum. While the film is praised for its visual style and committed performances, it is frequently criticized for an uneven screenplay and a narrative that loses focus as it progresses.
| Cinematography | The cinematography and visual style, particularly the fluid long takes, are standout technical achievements. | |
| Acting | The acting ensemble provides strong, dedicated performances that help ground the film's increasingly absurd and frantic tone. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is widely considered the film's weakest link, suffering from overstuffed themes, thin characterization, and a lack of narrative coherence. | |
| Pacing | The pacing is highly divisive; the first act is consistently lauded for its intensity, while the latter half is frequently cited as dragging, uneven, or prone to stalling. | |
| Direction | Opinions on the film's tonal shifts between dark comedy, satire, and grim thriller are split, with some finding it a bold stylistic choice and others viewing it as a lack of focus. |