Review: The Coffee Table

Digital: The Coffee Table (2022)

Directed by Caye Casas ,‘The Coffee Table’ is described in some places as a ‘dark comedy’, which, to me, is giving any audience a completely wrong sign post to what this story is ,and unfortunately it’s one of those films that you can’t really discuss, because giving even the mildest HINT, will ruin the viewers experience.

Jesús and Maria are a middle aged couple, maybe early 40’s and they’ve just had a baby through IVF. Maria obviously desperately wanted the baby, and seems to be really fed up with her husband Jesus, who is a pain in the arse, sulky, man-child. They’ve moved house and we meet the couple in a furniture shop where Jesus is buying a horrific, very expensive, ornate glass coffee table. Maria hates it.

And that, my friends, is literally all I can tell you without spoiling it. There comes a point in the film where I asked Mr 60MWto turn it off, as I didn’t want to see anymore…but I was glued to the screen. What followed was an hour of absolute anguish, horror and trepidation, unfortunately let down by a ‘gallop to the end’ and most unsatisfactory ending. Almost as though the film maker had NO idea how he could end something like this so took the easy (off screen, we’re just going to use a voice over) option. Shame really as to build horror and tension in a film like The Coffee Table does, is rare.

I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, and sorry I can’t really tell you if this film is a good watch or not. I’m not sorry I watched it, but it’s a film I’ll never watch again. One thing it definitely isn’t is a comedy.

Review by Tina from a streaming link kindly supplied by  Second Sight Films via Aim Publicity.