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Thesis
Tesis
1996 125 min Spain R 18+
★7.6
Horror, Thriller
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Trailers
Description
While working on a thesis about audiovisual violence, film student Ángela finds a snuff video where a girl is tortured until death. Soon she discovers that she was a former student in her university, and that the authors of the video are not very far either.
Worldwide:
$2.65M
Starring
Ana Torrent
Actor
Fele Martínez
Actor
Eduardo Noriega
Actor
Awards
Goya Awards 1997
— Best Production Management
Goya Awards 1997
— Best Film Editing
Goya Awards 1997
— Best Debut Director
Goya Awards 1997
— Best Debut Director
Goya Awards 1997
— Best Original Screenplay
Goya Awards 1997
— Best Sound
Goya Awards 1997
— Best Picture
Goya Awards 1997
— Best Debut
Key opinion
Alejandro Amenábar's directorial debut is widely regarded as a masterful, tense psychological thriller that effectively probes the audience's morbid fascination with on-screen violence. While some viewers find the plot conventions dated or the pacing uneven, most critics and audiences praise its ability to maintain suspense and provoke deep existential reflection on the nature of cruelty.
| Direction | The film masterfully sustains a sense of dread and paranoia, keeping viewers engaged with its suspenseful, unpredictable narrative until the final act. | |
| Theme | The screenplay successfully challenges the audience to examine their own moral complicity and inherent attraction to violent spectacle. | |
| Acting | The lead performances, particularly by Ana Torrent and Eduardo Noriega, are widely praised for their nuance and ability to anchor the film's psychological intensity. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is a subject of debate, with some viewers finding the slow-burn approach highly effective, while others feel the early stages are too sluggish. | |
| Ending | Opinions on the film's resolution are divided; while some appreciate the ambiguous and provocative final note, others find it predictable or narratively unsatisfying. |