If nothing else, this film taught me where the term “blackballing” comes from!
“La bola negra” follows three young men in 1932, 1937, and 2017, and how their lives are connected by the work of Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca. Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Penélope Cruz, and Glenn Close all star, and Javier Ambrossi and
Javier Calvo direct.
If 2025 was the year of twins, with actors like Michael B. Jordan, Robert Pattinson, and Blake Lively all playing multiple characters in the same film, then 2026 has been the year of recontextualization. Films like “The Odyssey,” “You Can See Everything,” and “Digger” all have things happen at some point in their runtime that reshape how we watch and think about the film as a whole, and “La bola negra” joins that club. What starts as the stories of three gay men, one trying to join a gentlemen’s club in 1932, one forced to take part in the Spanish Civil War, and another dealing with his grandfather’s passing in 2017, start to blend together in a film that is gorgeous to look at and feels like a living poem, even if it grows a bit too big for its own good.
All of the performances and characters of the film feel real and lived in. Many of the actors are making their feature debuts, including singer Guitarricadelafuente, who plays a young trumpeter forced to join the Nationalist movement after his village is bombed by the Italians. Guitarricadelafuente has a soft sense about him and tries to believe the best in people, all while struggling to cope with the violence happening in his country. Glenn Close and Penélope Cruz (neither a stranger to the movies) make brief but effective appearances, and provide warm matriarchal guidance in their respective storylines.
The production design of the film is immaculate, immersing you into the war-torn world of 1930s Spain. From farming villages to bombed churches, it is clear the film was shot on-location and constructed sets and not in front of a green screen. The film is also shot on 35mm, which adds a softer feel. Other films that take place over different time periods sometimes shoot each segment in different formats (like “Steve Jobs,” which shot its three segments in 16mm, 35mm, and digital) to give each era its own feel, but cinematographer Gris Jordana instead chooses to let the three different times speak for themselves through where she places the camera and how the characters are framed. I also liked the musical score, which implements a lot of horns to compliment Guitarricadelafuente’s love of the instrument.
The film is inspired by the works of Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca (who was killed in 1936, likely for his sexuality and Socialist beliefs), including an unfinished play from which this film takes its name. Sprawling over 80 years and following three characters is not an easy task, and to the filmmakers’ credit the hopping always feels organic and never clunky. That being said, at 160 minutes the film is a bit long, with some repeated story beats and lack of true character development for some of the leads. Sometimes it feels like we are about to get a big emotional payoff just for the narrative to cut away, and it kept the characters’ relationships a little bit at arms-length for me. The climax also spells everything out for the audience (in two different timelines); one I found a bit on the nose but the other was quietly poignant. I was fortunate enough to see the film in a theater, but I’m interested in how audiences will react to it after watching from their couches once it hits Netflix, especially in the era of scrolling as we “watch” our media.
“La bola negra” is not a revolutionary piece of cinema but it is a beautiful film with attention to detail across multiple departments, and it shines a light on the stories of people who may not have been able to share theirs during their own lifetime. Mileage may vary from viewers who want more on-the-surface drama or streamlined narratives, but I found plenty to sink my teeth into throughout and be worth the trip.
Critics Rating: 7/10
