Over the last 30 years, Spain has stood out in Europe for its smart genre output: Think “The Orphanage,” “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Open Your Eyes” among early examples.
From its reception this weekend, Spanish critics may soon be adding another title to Spain’s illustrious auteur genre canon: “Subsuelo,” the fourth feature as a director of Fernando Franco, a San Sebastián Special Jury Prize winner for 2013’s “Wounded” and the editor of the Oscar-nominated “Robot Dreams.” Elle Driver handles world sales.
A new clip hints at the movie’s style, one reason why the film has met with an upbeat reaction from Spanish reviewers, newspaper El Mundo hailing ‘Subsuelo’ as a “deep and highly disturbing thriller.”
Franco has carved out a reputation for addressing challenging themes: borderline personality disorder in “Wounded,” dying in 2017’s “Morir” and in 2022’s “The Rite of Spring,” sexual assistance to a cerebral palsy sufferer.
Produced by Lazona, Kowalski Films, Ferdydurke Films and Blizzard Films AIE with Cinekdoque, “Subsuelo” begins brightly enough at a lovely country chalet where two families are having dinner. Javier (Itzan Escamilla, “Elite”), the visiting family’s teen son, is sent out to drive for ice, along with twins Eva (Julia Martínez, “The Vow”) and Fabián (Diego Garisa, “Welcome to Eden”). A ghastly car crash leaves Javier dead and Fabián paralyzed from the waist down.
That freak accident overshadows – literally – the whole film. In the clip, Eva – who was at the wheel, a fact her mother covers up – goes out for a New Year’s Eve date with Ramón (Nacho Sánchez, “Manticore”), Javier’s older brother.
The film’s neo-Noir aesthetic plays out over the whole clip, Eva’s face in a taxi crossed by city lights and shadows. Eva and Ramón are smitten by each other. Yet other sentiments may – or may not– also be at work, such as Ramón’s determination to find out what really happened and Eva’s building realisation that he could help protect her from the pathologically abusive Fabián. Not for nothing at the club, the vocalist on stage sings that “the pact is closed. It’s time for action.”
When Ramón and Eva walk out of the club, they should be happy. Instead, the film’s pervasive oppressive music continues to sound.
variety.com
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