The Exterminating Angel
1962 · Directed by Luis Buñuel
Original language: Spanish
- comedy
- drama
- fantasy
The story
After a lavish dinner party, the guests find themselves unable to depart... and, over the next few days, all of their elaborate societal pretenses and façades deteriorate as they are reduced to living like animals.
What it’s like
Flat, unhurried black-and-white compositions in which a formal dinner party slowly curdles: the camera holds on symmetrical rooms, long corridors and stiff tableaux while the light stays even and grey, and the surreal turns arrive as small, deadpan oddities rather than effects. The sound is sparse, mostly footsteps, murmured small talk and an occasional stray animal noise, which makes each silence feel heavier. The vibe is dry, absurd and quietly unsettling, closer to a cool joke that keeps not quite landing than to horror, and it suits a slow evening alone or a thoughtful watch with someone who enjoys being unsettled. Pacing is measured and repetitive on purpose, with the same rituals repeated until they start to fray. Tone is satirical and detached, and the arc follows a group of comfortable people whose manners drain away one day at a time. Intensity is low: there is some mild, dark-comic unpleasantness and a few tense, violent-tinged moments, but no gore and nothing graphic. It is for viewers who like cerebral, surreal comedy and social satire.
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