The Coffee Table (2022)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

Jesús (David Pareja) and María (Estefanía de los Santos) are struggling in their relationship, though they have just become parents for the first time. As they aim to situate themselves and their home, they purchase a new piece of furniture. The Coffee Table that Jesús has chosen will prove to be a challenging addition to their home–one that will forever alter their lives. 

The Coffee Table quickly sets the tone: dark and harrowing. Then, without warning, the film transitions to something different: a salesman attempting to sell our protagonists a unique coffee table. The scene, still engulfed in darkness, takes a turn and becomes something almost funny. The conversation among Jesús, María, and the salesman is quite funny, actually–but there’s still an underlying sense of drama and pain that runs through this scene. 

Now, there are some issues that I had with this aspect of the film, as the humor is incredibly dry–something that I typically appreciate. Pareja and Santos’ delivery is brilliant, and it’s clear that the dialogue scripted for them has the potential to be effective, but there’s a language barrier. The Coffee Table is completely in Spanish, and as a result of me not understanding the language, I struggled to fully understand the humor that was strewn throughout the film. There are certainly moments in which the comedy comes through regardless, but as a result of my inability to understand Spanish and the language’s intonations, I struggled far more than I had hoped. I can’t (and won’t) fault the film or the filmmakers for this–however, this is a reality that many viewers will face. 

Regardless of whether or not the comedy effectively lands with viewers that struggle as a result of the language barrier, I think they are able to understand that it exists nonetheless. It seems that the intention is to deliver as much subtle comedy as possible in the first twenty-ish minutes, and then quickly flip the script, giving viewers something far more intense and daunting (and the sudden juxtaposition allows the intensity to land more effectively). The Coffee Table becomes a riveting story plagued by the worst possible horrors and traumas. The narrative is incredibly compelling, even more so because it uses time to its advantage. Once viewers are immersed in the narrative we become anxious, impatient really–and time is of the essence. Time and time again the narrative is forced to slow down, to hold up the next integral step in Jesús’ journey–and in those moments viewers feel helpless, growing more impatient–nearly incapable of containing themselves. Writer-Director Caye Casas strings us along in the best way possible–never relenting in her brilliant construction of The Coffee Table. 

Everything that Casas does works almost to antagonize viewers, but it works in favor of The Coffee Table. Whether it’s the intense close ups or the random actions of one of the main characters, repeatedly The Coffee Table works to juxtapose its primary narrative and send viewers in different and unique directions. We’re constantly forced from this very linear story, in directions that effectively frustrate us, that keep subverting our expectations. We’re always brought back to the main story, but the journey that we are taken on is well off the beaten path, but beautifully constructed. Every second of The Coffee Table matters, every second of the film is helping to build on the intensity of this couple’s situation, and not a second passes in which that isn’t successful. 

I truly had no idea what to expect when I turned on The Coffee Table. Labeled a horror film (also a comedy and drama), I anticipated something occult and/or fantastical–but I got something completely different. The Coffee Table is far more grounded than I anticipated–and the drama that exists within the film is hard hitting. The storytelling ability of Casas and Co-Writer Cristina Borobia is ultimately what finds this film success, as the trajectory of the narrative is constantly changing, pulling viewers in different directions, though keeping them engaged–following Jesús and María’s story from start to finish. 

Directed by Caye Casas. 

Written by Cristina Borobia & Caye Casas. 

Starring David Pareja, Estefanía de los Santos, Josep Ma Riera, Claudia Riera, Eduardo Antuña, etc. 

9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND GET TO THE THEATER NOW