Pablo Larraín already has an excellent track record premiering biopics at the Venice Film Festival with 2016’s “Jackie” and 2021’s “Spencer.” But the director’s latest biopic takes a different approach than those two films. How different? Well, “El Conde” takes the already horrifying story of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and turns him into a literal vampire.
In Larraín’s latest, Pinochet is at a crossroads after 250 years of feasting on the blood of the innocent. Is plaguing the world and the reputation that comes with it really worth all of the power the vampire holds?
Here’s an official synopsis of “El Conde,” courtesy of Netflix:
El Conde is a dark comedy/horror that imagines a parallel universe inspired by the recent history of Chile. The film portrays Augusto Pinochet, a symbol of world fascism, as a vampire who lives hidden in a ruined mansion in the cold southern tip of the continent. Feeding his appetite for evil to sustain his existence. After two hundred and fifty years of life, Pinochet has decided to stop drinking blood and abandon the privilege of eternal life. He can no longer bear that the world remembers him as a thief.
Despite the disappointing and opportunistic nature of his family, he finds new inspiration to continue living a life of vital and counterrevolutionary passion through an unexpected relationship.
“El Conde” stars Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger, Catalina Guerra, Marcial Tagle, Amparo Noguera, Diego Muñoz, and Antonia Zegers.
Along with directing duties, Larraín co-pens the film’s script with Guillermo Calderón. Juan de Dios Larraín, Larraín, and Rocío Jadue co-produce “El Conde.” The trio also serves as executive producers on the film.
After its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival at the end of the summer, “El Conde” premieres exclusively on Netflix on September 15. Watch the first trait for the film below.
