Horror fans looking to test their mettle should take note of director Caye Casas‘s The Coffee Table. Horror master Stephen King recently said of the pitch-black tragicomedy, “My guess is you have never, not once in your whole life, seen a movie as black as this one. It’s horrible and also horribly funny.”
That sums up this grim movie well, with King’s recommendation worth taking.
In a press release, Casas said, “We wanted to make one of the cruelest films ever made, one that people cannot forget. It will make them feel very strong emotions, real terror without monsters, zombies, ghosts or murderers, only with a dining room table and the cruelest fate that you can imagine.”
The filmmaker, who co-wrote the film with Cristina Borobia, isn’t downplaying the cruelty.
The film “follows Jesus and Maria, a couple going through a difficult time in their relationship. Nevertheless, they have just become parents. To shape their new life, they decide to buy a new coffee table. A decision that will change their existence.”
Let’s just say that that fateful decision comes with significant trigger warnings, particularly for new parents, and a jaw-dropping inciting event that transforms the film into a relentless pressure cooker. One that Casas intercuts with pitch-black humor that only heightens the macabre madness. The filmmaker mines horror from a freak tragedy to a degree that often leaves you torn between laughter and edge-of-your-seat suspense. But more impressive is the way that Casas fearlessly shatters at least one sacred cinematic taboo for a twisted laugh.
“I can only assure one thing to audiences, if you like strong emotions, if you want to suffer like never before, if you want to feel real terror, The Coffee Table is your movie,” said Casas. “You will never forget it, I promise.”
That’s a bold claim that Casas more than backs up with this grim shocker. Check out the trailer below for a peek at the dark insanity in store.
David Pareja and Estefanía de los Santos star as the ill-fated couple, with Josep Riera, Claudia Riera, and Eduardo Antuña rounding out the cast.
The Coffee Table released on DVD and VOD on May 14, with platforms including AppleTV, Prime Video, Google Play, VUDU, and more. Don’t miss this wild ride, but beware: it’s a doozy.
