Make way for The Coffee Table (also known as La mesita del comedor), a uniquely original horror film from Spain, directed by Caye Casas (known for Killing God), who co-wrote the screenplay with Cristina Borobia. The film generated significant buzz and caused quite a stir during its original release. It is now set to take a prominent spot in your home, as Second Sight Films announces an exciting new Limited Edition Blu-ray release this Spring. In our review, we take a closer look at the movie.
The Coffee Table is a film that begins in mundanity and ends in madness—a bleak, darkly comic tale that pivots from the seemingly harmless premise of marital bickering into a deeply unsettling psychological spiral. Directed by Caye Casas, this Spanish-language film ruthlessly shatters any expectations you might have about what a domestic drama—or even a black comedy—should look like.
The story follows Jesús and María, a couple who argue over a trivial piece of furniture: a hideous, glass-topped coffee table. Jesús insists on buying it against María’s wishes, a decision that sets off a catastrophic chain of events. What follows is a harrowing day in their home, defined by a grotesque, accidental tragedy that the film reveals with jarring suddenness.
Casas masterfully crafts tension through claustrophobic framing and uncomfortable silences, trapping the viewer in a house filled with unspoken guilt, festering dread, and false normalcy. The film’s pacing is agonizingly deliberate, building unbearable tension with every minute. It’s less about what happens than how long everyone can pretend it didn’t.
The performances, especially from David Pareja (Jesús), are disturbingly authentic. Pareja’s slow mental unravelling is simultaneously tragic and pathetic, often eliciting uneasy laughter from the audience, only to make them regret it moments later. The film’s bleak sense of humour isn’t for everyone; it laughs at the absurdity of horror but never lets you escape its consequences.
Caye Casas doesn’t just cross the line of good taste—he obliterates it. The film is bound to divide viewers: some will see it as a work of subversive genius, others as an exercise in cruelty. But no one will forget it.