Eye for an Eye (2019)

A drug dealer looking for rest. A nurse looking for revenge. A crossroads where no one is safe.

Director:

Paco Plaza

Writers:

Juan Galiñanes, Jorge Guerricaechevarría

Stars:

Luis Tosar, Xan Cejudo, Ismael Martínez

8 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luis Tosar	...	Mario
Xan Cejudo	...	Antonio
Ismael Martínez	...	Toño
Enric Auquer	...	Kiko
María Vázquez	...	Julia
Daniel Currás	...	Xepas
Rebeca Montero	...	Mercedes
María Luisa Mayol	...	Ana (as Luisa Mayol)
Jessica Serna	...	Raquel
Tamara Canosa	...	Sofía
Xosé Manuel Esperante	...	Andrés
Víctor Duplá	...	Alfredo
Xoel Fernández	...	Santiago
César Valdés	...	Sánchez
Pepo Suevos	...	Vicente

Storyline

2018. Cambados, Pontevedra (Galicia; northwest to Spain). Legendary Gallician drug dealer Antonio Padín is pardoned from the jail due to humanitarian reasons, after to have a terminal disease. Aging, weak and ill, Antonio goes freely into a seniors residence instead to go his home with two sons, older and more cerebral Toño and younger and more aggressive Kiko, despising them openly in the belief that they two will ruin the family business. In the residence Antonio meets Mario, nursery chief and his personal assistant who expects his first baby with his six months pregnant wife Julia. Motivated by the revenge after Sergio, Mario's younger brother who was one of the Antonio's drug pushers and an addict who died 25 years ago by overdose, Mario cares Antonio by day, but makes him sick by night as retribution. At the same time, Toño and Kiko make a deal with a Chinese mob named Mrs. Kong in cooperation with a Colombian drug cartel, but things go wrong: Kong betrays Toño and Kiko killing ...

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Plot Keywords:

nursery | drug dealer | aging | pregnant woman | drug addiction | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

The movie ends with a dedication to Xan Cejudo, who passed away almost a year before the movie's (theatrical) release.

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Soundtracks

Down Low
Written by Ty Noam Frankel

User Reviews

"Do you feel sorry for junkies?".

Eye For An Eye is a Spanish vengeance story directed by Paco Plaza (REC, Veronica) and, even though no one can claim that it is a genre-defining crime/thriller, it both entertains and emotionally touches the audience. When a drug-lord patriarch, Antonio, is released from prison due to health issues, he chooses to live in a sanatorium for the rest of his days rather than his house as his relationship with his two kids, Kiko and Toño is strained. Mario is a male nurse in the nursing home that Antonio will be living from now on and he takes over Antonio's case and becomes his personal aid. But Mario has a tragic past that is connected to Antonio's former business as his brother, a heroin user and one of Antonio's pushers, committed suicide 25 years ago. Now Mario has the ultimate chance to exact his revenge from the person that he hates most in this world and who is responsible for the shaping of his stoic and meek personality. Mario begins poisoning the old man by putting bleach to his food and by injecting heroin to his veins every night. Antonio soon becomes totally paralyzed and even unable to speak so Mario's work become all the easier. The premise of the story is formulaic as it brings to mind many other revenge crime films, but the strength of this film generates not from its over-elaborate plot but rather from the complexity and truthfulness of the characters. Luis Tosar gives a magnificent performance as Mario, lending subtlety and esoterical tension to the character who is also the main protagonist of the story. Xan Cejudo is decent in the role of Antonio while in the case of the two brothers, Kiko and Toño, we can detect a gap between the quality of the performances given by Enric Auger and Ismael Martinez. While the second is measured and solemn, Auger seems to over-act his role, but perhaps this is an unfair assessment as Kiko's role is supposed to be a little over-the-top. I didn't like María Vázquez's acting as Mario's pregnant wife, Julia, but this may be due to my indifference over her character. The interaction sequences between the couple are -more or less- tedious but they also act as an intermission to the events of the plot.

Eye For An Eye is a slow-burning picture that will disappoint those who expect a Hollywood-like revenge movie and fans of Kill Bill should steer clear. Nevertheless, there are some nice action scenes that pick up the tempo, while there is also a certain amount of disturbing imagery and I'm referring to the Kiko's prison sequences. There is a well-placed and effective plot twist in the end but the final few minutes are somehow disturbing and then the film ends abruptly, leaving the viewer feeling a bit annoyed. If I had to rate the movie, I would give it a 6,5/10. It is definitely not among the best Spanish crime film exports of the last years but it will keep you glued to the screen and offer you some very nice moments.

Details

Country:

Spain France USA

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

30 August 2019 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Eye for an Eye

Filming Locations:

Cambados, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,750,926

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atresmedia Cine, Atresmedia, Axencia Galega das Industrias Culturais (AGADIC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1