As María makes preparations for having friends over to see the baby, things go sideways in an unpredictably awful turn of events. What follows solidly plugs the narrative into the advertised horror/comedy genre The Coffee Table bills itself as. Here, we must take a giant step back before we wander haplessly into spoiler territory. The rest of the 90-minute runtime must be seen to be believed. Viewers can take this ride and find out what happens next for them.
Casas then drags this family and their friends through a tonal shift that leads them to the worst night of their lives. The gear switch is shocking to the viewer as well. What has been to this point, a sitcom-level, lightly humorous romp highlighting the friction between new parents, suddenly goes straight into an unimaginable hellscape after a moment that will redefine the lives of everyone involved. Is it more funny or more horrific? That is a tough call. There are certainly elements of humor, but depending on your temperament, it could be that you’ll feel bad about laughing. But you are likely to anyway. The experience of this emotional roller coaster is remarkable.
“Is it more funny or more horrific?”
The Spanish title of The Coffee Table is La Mesita del Comedor, which translates to” the dining room’s small table.” Perhaps in Spain, the notion of a coffee table is not as common as it would be for American audiences. The film also contains other small cultural differences, but not so much that they take the viewer out of the story.
The director executes the filmmaking style beautifully. The spaces and camera angles keep everything claustrophobic and tense. The walls close in as horror saturates the apartment, and the tension is unbearable as we wait for the inevitable explosion of dramatic resolution. The banality of everyday life and social interaction juxtaposed with the grisly truth is deeply unsettling. Suspending disbelief in this situation requires the actors to sell it without pulling the punches, and they do so with skill and grace. The performances elevate the film and keep the sickening situation tense and believable.
The Coffee Table is funnier to talk about than to watch, but it is all-in on the horror and trauma front. Kudos to Casas for his commitment to a bold, insane side trip into devastating hell. This film is not going to be for everyone, but for those who love horror served with a mean little edge of snarky humor, it’s quite a ride.
"…horror served with a mean little edge of snarky humor..."
Oh Chris Gore’s sheer excitement about this film, I heeded his advice and went in blind. Two hours later, I only just recalled laughing at the beginning of this film.
In the spirit of keeping this spoiler free as the esteemed Bradely Gibson has in this review. I can add that from the beginning to title credits, you feel a quaint ‘slice of life’ film has begun, then at 13 minutes, you feel, as the French would say: l’appel du vide, the call of the void. A beautiful setup for what is going to come next and carry you through a harrowing and tense movie experience.