Written by: Diego San José (screenplay by), Borja Cobeaga & Diego San José (story by)
Directed by: Borja Cobeaga
Starring: Javier Cámara, Julián López, Miren Ibarguren, Gorka Otxoa
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
Netflix's second Spanish original movie takes place in a small Spanish town where a dysfunctional armed terrorist group, the etarras or ETA, find themselves stuck in a flat awaiting a phone call. While they wait, the Spanish national football team wins the World Cup, sending the whole country into celebration.
Verdict
The language and cultural barrier is too much. The title roughly translates to Fear the ETA which is more apt and comical, if you know what the ETA is. The terrorist cell in this movie doesn't generate fear. Comedy works in part due to timing, so reading subtitles only hurts any humor.
It's a solid concept, a house full of incompetent terrorists, but there are too many barriers to entry. This was never made for an English speaking audience and it's obvious. The director called this Friends in a safe house, and that's not far off if you're fluent in Spanish.
Skip it.
Review
This centers on a separatist group, opening with a discussion on pastry and a dessert with Martin stating he's too full for dessert and subsequently derided. This sets up a joke coming in the next few minutes. When the house is raided, the terrorists begin eating pages of a notebook. Martin's too full.
Martin holes up in a safe house with three others in their organization, the etarras or ETA. Martin credits the ETA's fifty year heritage to good food. It's better than any restaurant. He compares the ETA to FARQ and the IRA, but distances them from Al Quaeda. They aren't the a-team by any means and they must wait for a phone call. The world cup is happening and since the local team, Spain, is playing well they must feign interest or silently celebrate so they don't attract attention. There were a few jokes about how Spain's team wouldn't win, but since I'm not familiar with the team that fell flat. They also begin contractor work, remodeling adjacent apartments. While some of the group questions it, it provides them money and a front.
I could see how this would play out if it were an American comedy, but humor doesn't translate well through subtitles. It's a silly premise, but I never found it funny. It's a comedy of errors. Comedy is in the timing and subtitles takes all of that away.
There's also a cultural divide. Martin frequently talks about being a Basque man, with some disagreement from others as to whether he's a true Basque. It was a point of pride for him that I didn't understand so I went to wikipedia. If you're from Basque you're like an original ETA separatist, that's why it's important to Martin to claim that. The Spain-ETA conflict in reality lasted for fifty years. I'm sure this would be more familiar for Spain natives.
This feels a lot like a sit-com and while it ended well, it's just not made for English speakers. That's fine, just know that going in.
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