Few films evoke as much dread as Caye Casas’ The Coffee Table. It’s a spirited film that, at points, you begin to think is absurdly cruel because Casas drags out our misery, becoming quite the unforgettable watch.

Jesús (David Pareja) and María (Estefanía de los Santos) are a middle-aged couple going through a difficult time in their relationship. Nevertheless, they have just become parents. They decide to buy a new coffee table to shape their new life. A decision that will change their existence.

We have all been there in relationships when a couple live together. One person wants things to be a specific way, from the colour of the wall to the style of plates you have. The other, defeated in this, will fight tooth and nail for at least one item in the house post-decoration. It could be the ugliest thing in the world, but it doesn’t matter because THEY chose it. This is the situation that Jesús has fallen into in The Coffee Table. He has spied a coffee table, a fairly ugly one. But he wants it and will even pay more than he should for the thing despite his wife María’s protests that it doesn’t fit with the aesthetic. You immediately understand him, but damn, if that stubbornness doesn’t turn out to be the costliest thing in the world.

You could be asking what chaos is caused by the seemingly innocuous purchase of such an item. Well, I am here to tell you that never has an item been so important. But to remain as spoiler-free as possible. I will not inform you as to why. Let us start by saying that The Coffee Table isn’t going to be for everyone and not in a typical gory sense; it has some sensitive-to-the-stomach moments. However, this relates more to how well a person can take over an hour of unbearable stress after witnessing a tragedy. 

An incident leaves Jesús and the audience in utter shambles emotionally, to the point that you become certain that Director and co-writer Caye Casas and co-writer Cristina Borobia are revelling in the torment. We are given a tension-racked scenario that somehow builds more tension as The Coffee Table continues; neither the audience nor Jesús can escape it, and by God, is the film brilliant for it. We want no need for the truth to be told to let this weight be freed from our shoulders. Casas and Borobia have other plans for us, which are deliciously excruciating.

David Pareja is sensational here; each time we break away from him, you almost feel relieved. While we know that the proverbial bomb is still ticking away, ready to explode at any moment, to break away from his tormented face gives us a moment to breathe. He is an utter highlight whose performance makes or breaks The Coffee Table. His character is holding the weight of the Universe on his shoulders, and as the film progresses, that weight keeps getting heavier and heavier.

In the end, The Coffee Table is a film you need to see, but only once. Then, like a cursed object, you pass it on to the next poor soul who needs to encounter it. Caye Casas’s film is a masterclass in building tension, and it will be hard to forget.

★★★★

The Coffee Table will be available on DVD and VOD from 14th May 2024

Support Us

I am but a small website in this big wide world. As much as I would love to make this website a big and wonderful entity. That would bring in more costs. So, for now all I hope is to make Upcoming On Screen self-sufficient. Well enough to where any website fees are less of a worry for me in the future. You can support the website below…

Patreon

You can support us in a variety of ways (other than that wonderful word of mouth) and those lovely follows. If you are so inclined to help out then you can support us via Patreon, find our link here! We don’t want to ask much from you, so for now we have limited our tiers to £1.50 and £3.50. These will of course grow the more we plan to do here at Upcoming On Screen.

Buy Us A Coffee

Our other method if through the wonderful Buy us a Coffee feature, but seeing as we are not the biggest fans of coffee, a pizza will do! We keep it fairly small change on that as well and it allows you to give just a one off payment, so no need to worry about that monthly malarky! We even have a little icon on the website for you to find it and help us out with the running of the website.

Social Media

You can also support us via Twitter and Facebook by giving us a follow and a like. Every one helps!