Following up on his two acclaimed horror directorial efforts, “Before The Fall” and his entrée into Hollywood with the “Rings” franchise, Spanish director F. Javier Gutiérrez returns to Spain and takes us on the disturbing journey of a man who loses everything to evil with “The Wait” (“La Espera”). Set in the remote, magical, and forgotten Andalusian countryside, “The Wait” is a sinister folk horror tragedy place marked by ancestral traditions. The horror has been described as a love letter to the horror/fantasy genre, as well as Gutiérrez’s most intimate and brutal film to date.
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Portraying the macabre descent into the hell of a man who suffered the tragic loss of his family, “The Wait” stars Víctor Clavijo (“Before the Fall”), Ruth Díaz (“The Fury of a Patient Man”), Manuel Moron, and Luis Callejo (“Below Zero”).
Gutierrez shares in a statement how he wanted to make something more intimate and personal within the horror genre.
“After ‘Rings,’ I felt the need to return to Europe, to Spain, to Andalucía, and shoot something personal. As a good friend told me once, “One for them, one for me, for my soul.” ‘The Wait’ belongs to the latter. No doubt, this film brings me back to my roots, my land, my memories, my most personal storytelling, along with my childhood nightmares. As I did in Before the Fall, beneath the story, I push the boundaries to go deeper through layers and symbols, exploring once again the complexity, darkness, beauty, and weakness of our human nature. Death. Grief. Guilt… All disguised as a disturbing folk horror, brutal, uncompromised, with the soul of a Western. That’s ‘The Wait.’ A suffocating step toward the edge into our inner fears. No answers. No mercy. Too harsh? Maybe. But you know, to see a candle’s light, one must take it into a dark place.”
Here’s the official synopsis:
Eladio has been hired to watch over the hunting grounds of Don Francisco’s estate somewhere in rural Spain. The estate is divided into ten hunting stands, spaced far enough apart to avoid incidents. After three years of service, Don Carlos — Don Francisco’s second in command — offers him a bribe to add an additional three stands to the property. Eladio initially hesitates, but his wife eventually convinces him to take the money. Eladio’s greed has unfortunate consequences that drag his entire family to perdition.
“The Wait” makes its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest, which runs from September 21 to September 28. Watch the film’s first trailer exclusively below.
