Christmas has long since ended, but great gifts continue to arrive in the form of great catalog jewels that are incorporated into streaming platforms. Perfect excuses to recover some essential films, unique in their style and capable of dismantling prejudices of all kindslike the eternal sambenito with Spanish cinema.
The devil loose in Madrid
Without a doubt, a film like ‘The Day of the Beast’ is one of a kind and an example of how to make great cinema in our country without ceasing to make it intrinsically Spanish. The masterpiece by Álex de la Iglesia arrives on the Disney+ platform to spread its devilish funin the same way that it also does on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max or FlixOlé.
Following the refreshing daring of ‘Mutant Action’, the second film by the Basque director gives us a masterful lesson on how to mix comedy and horror as well as crazy action and Christmas symbology. The leading priest played by Álex Angulo must go to the chaotic city of Madrid, since he has found indications that the Antichrist is going to be born on December 25, 1995 in that city.
To neutralize the threat, he will resort to the help of a jebi played by Santiago Segura and a reality TV presenter with a supernatural program on local TV personified by Armando de Razza. Undoubtedly, a splendid cast that help land that hilarious satirical fantastic who are looking for De La Iglesia and the reference screenwriter Jorge Guerricaechevarría.
‘The Day of the Beast’ represents a significant advance in the style of Álex de la Iglesia, polishing what was ingenious although imperfect in his debut and taking full advantage of that frenetic, devilish and hilarious style. The tone is perfectly tuned, shot with incredible impetus to leave moments to rememberfrom specific shots to sequences such as the escape through the building with the Schweppes logo.
Few films reflect so well the whirlwind of moving to Madrid, and even capture that feeling that it is dominated by demonic forces. Few films manage to take advantage of Segura as much as an actor. And, without a doubt, few films are as instantly iconic as this one. ‘The day of the beast’ is A must see movie that everyone should see. Once in life. It will not be for lack of opportunities.
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