A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Coffee Table” (2024).
Original title: La mesita del comedor.
In a world of bland Hollywood cookie-cutter horror films (“Baghead”, “Tarot”, “Imaginary”, yada, yada, yada…), “The Coffee Table” is refreshingly different. Gone are the jump scares. But it is far more horrific and tense than anything I’ve watched this year.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Jesús (David Pareja) and Maria (Estefanía de los Santos) are decorating their house after the arrival of their first baby. They fight over the purchase of a gaudy coffee table, but Jesús gets his way. The salesman (Eduardo Antuña) says that the table will “change their lives for the better”. Well… he’s half right!
Certification:
UK: 15; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC web site: “Distressing scenes, strong injury detail, language, sex references”. For me, the upsetting theme of the film would make this a borderline ‘18’ for me.)
Talent:
Starring: David Pareja, Estefanía de los Santos, Eduardo Antuña, Josep Maria Riera, Claudia Riera, Gala Flores, Cristina Dilla.
Directed by: Caye Casas.
Written by: Cristina Borobia & Caye Casas.
Twitter Handle: #TheCoffeeTable.
Running Time: 1h 31m.
The shopkeeper (Eduardo Antuña) turns on the charm to a willing Jesús (David Pareja) and a sceptical Maria (Estefanía de los Santos). (Source: Cinephobia Releasing)
“The Coffee Table” Summary:
Positives:
- A horror story that for once is truly horrific.
- Embraces taboos on so many levels.
- Some brilliant directorial choices.
- Laced with uncomfortable black comedy throughout.
Negatives:
- The subject matter will be just too distressing for many viewers.
- The Ruth sun-plot could perhaps have been mined for more ‘cringe’.
Review of “The Coffee Table”:
There’s a lot I can’t say in this main review for reasons of spoilers. So I’ve added a Spoiler section below the trailer. ONLY read this if you’ve seen the film (or you don’t intend to but are intrigued!)
Think of the blackest shade of black you can… then go darker still.
It’s seldom I watch a film where I think… “No! They’re not going to go there”. But here they do. The incident at the centre of this film is utterly shocking… and it only tells half the story until later in the film.
The rest of the film plays like a squirmingly embarrassing slow-motion car crash: where you as the viewer just KNOW the impact will come, but you don’t know when or how. The ‘how’ is again eye-coveringly cringeworthy. (See Note 1 in the Spoiler section).
More taboo in a sub-plot.
As if the main premise wasn’t shocking enough, we plaster on more cringe through the involvement of Ruth (Gala Flores), the 13 year old daughter of the tenant upstairs. She has a crush on Jesús, she is convinced they have a future together and is intent on blackmailing him to leave his wife and have them run off together. The dialogue is excruciating:
“I want you to tell me you love me. Maria doesn’t turn you on. You just want to start over with me and fuck me all day”…. “I’m up for anything!”
I’m not sure how old Flores is, but she does the scenes shockingly well, being delightfully earnest and imploring.
If anything, I wanted more development of this subplot. There were more cringe comedy moments to be has in the exchanges between Jesús, Ruth, Maria and Ruth’s unaware mother (Cristina Dilla).
The power of a still frame.
The direction by Caye Casas shows real style. In one key moment, all we see is a still image with nothing but the sound to guide us as to what is happening.
In another, late in the film, another almost static image is shown, cut away from, then shown again with one notable change. (Spoilers, Note 2).
Brilliant stuff.
Jet black comedy
As well as some farcical knock-about fun (the opening segment in the shop is splendid) there is a much darker vein of humour running throughout.
- Jesús’s ‘painting’ discussions
- Some impossible carpet cleaning and getting ‘paint’ on the dog (inspired by the hilarious scene in “Game Night” perhaps?)
- The needy salesman who is so desperate for a friend.
- A scene so macabre it made me laugh out loud (and then be disgusted in myself for so doing!). (Spoiler Note 3)
Will be way too much for some.
This film requires a strong stomach and there’s a point many will get to – particularly those in a particular demographic – where they’ll say “No – not for me!” and have to turn over.
Wash your mouth out young lady! The 13 year-old Ruth (Gala Flores) about to make an indecent proposal. (Source: Cinephobia Releasing).
Summary Thoughts on “The Coffee Table”
Wow!! Many films I watch are insubstantial bits of fluff: movies I will be able to remember little about in a year’s time. If I’m lucky, I will be able to conjure up the title for the day’s Framed.wtf game. But “The Coffee Table” is different. Once seen, hard to forget. I also understand that the film was shot in just 10 days, which is astonishing.
There isn’t a shade of black dark enough to describe the subject matter in this movie! But it’s gripping and brilliantly done. Caye Casas is certainly a name to watch for in the future.
Check out the JustWatch widget below for where you can watch this one in your region.
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Trailer for “The Coffee Table”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZkU6RdTy40.
Spoiler Section
Don’t proceed past this point if you haven’t seen the film!
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No, really!
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Note 1
You obviously know from early on that after the “unbreakable” glass on the coffee table shatters the baby is dead. But the fact that his brother announces that the baby has been decapitated comes as another gut punch, swiftly followed by another as you learn that the head is lying under the furniture in the very same room as where tea is being politely supped! Ick upon ick.
Note 2
I’m referring here to the shot of Maria quietly walking onto the balcony as chaos reigns in the living room, then the realisation that she has jumped. The fact that Jesús has followed her is never shown, but cleverly revealed by the police casually discussing the “crazy” case.
Note 3
I’m referring here to the bizarre scene where Jesús changes the baby’s dirty nappy. You know the baby is dead at that point which is gross enough. But the fact that you later learn he is changing the nappy on a headless baby is macabre with a capital M!
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