There’s a Reason The Coffee Table (FANTASTIC) Was Labeled the Cruelest Film at the Festival
Title: The Coffee Table
First Non-Festival Release: December 1, 2023 (Limited Theatrical Release)
Director: Caye Casas
Writer: Cristina Borobia, Caye Casas
Runtime: 91 Minutes
Starring: David Pareja, Estefanía de los Santos, Josep Maria Riera
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2023.
Some people aren’t meant to be together despite their relationship status. Whether it be their beliefs, personality, or actual tolerance for each other, sometimes people just don’t work out in the way they hope.
This is true for Jesús (David Pareja) and María (Estefanía de los Santos), a married couple who are constantly at each other’s throats for one thing or another. It could be the stress of raising their baby Cayetano or it could just be a match that isn’t destined to work out in the long run. After Jesús stands up to María on purchasing a glass coffee table, adorned with two gold statues of naked women holding up the panes, María takes off to the grocery store to prepare for their family dinner, leaving Jesús in charge of their child. Something terrible happens while she is away and Jesús is left to respond to his actions.
Pitch black comedy with a consistent mean streak, The Coffee Table employs expert suspense to complement its situational horror.
Its intimate cast of characters, propped up by strong central performances, allow The Coffee Table to be impactful. Jesús is described as a screw up from the beginning, which makes the events of The Coffee Table not only make sense but also feel more tragic. For all his faults, perhaps what kills Jesús the most is inability to act. Overwhelmed by the forcefulness of María and the uncertainty of fatherhood, the one time he puts his foot down is purchasing a horrendously tacky table unaware that this decision will be his biggest regret. Throughout The Coffee Table, Jesús continually makes decisions to hide his mistakes which only makes things worse in the end.
Jesús and María are the epitome of toxic relationships, which allows the bleak comedy of the situation to unfold in such a jarring manner. María is a caring person who allows her anger to manifest in condescension and shouting at Jesús when she feels that he is not doing enough for his family. However valid her frustrations are, it adds fuel to the fire for Jesús’s poor decisions, as he wants to prolong the moment of truth for as long as possible. They are the perfect match for the worst possible outcome, making the inevitability of this tale’s ending so crushing.
Unbearable tension and perfect comedic timing allow The Coffee Table to ebb and flow between different ways of making the audience uncomfortable. Every moment where María and Jesús interact after the incident, there is an undercurrent of cruelty in the jokes she makes even though she is unaware. It is not, however, lost on Jesús and the audience. This is further potentiated when Jesús’s brother Carlos (Josep Maria Riera) and his girlfriend Cristina (Claudia Riera) visit. The secret of the comedy behind The Coffee Table is in the cruel irony that none of the parental advice or compliments can ring true anymore, which hits Jesús, and the audience, every moment someone speaks. While the discomfort makes the watch uncomfortable for the audience, the true horror is realizing that Jesús keeps prolonging the reveal, thus torturing himself and others more. It’s further ignited by other subtle comedic gags like Carlos and Cristina’s age gap romance and a teenage girl persistent in pursuing Jesús’s affections despite his disinterest.
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Visually, The Coffee Table finds unique ways to foreshadow the family dinner from hell. Hidden from the audience for most of the runtime, we only know as much as Director Caye Casas wants us to know. All that is revealed is something terrible happened to the baby and the titular table is somehow involved. The reality is foreshadowed throughout the film with cutaways to busts, pools of blood seeping from underneath cabinets, and plenty of minor details that implicate just how awful Jesús screwed up. Casas has an incredible ability to get the point across without having a single character explain it, making for a particularly upsetting and suspenseful experience.
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The Coffee Table is an exercise in patience for strong-willed viewers. It is not a film that can be viewed easily or half-heartedly. Casas demands the viewer sit through the pain and horror of a family torn apart due to its infighting and callousness. The true horror of The Coffee Table isn’t just in the inciting incident but in the depths of cruelty supposed loved ones will go to one-up or win against each other in what should be a team effort. In the end, The Coffee Table isn’t a film to go into lightly, but I promise you that the experience will be unforgettable, one way or another.
Overall Score? 7/10
