The Wait (La Espera) is about the gruesome journey into the hellish nightmare of a man named Eladio suffering from the repercussions of a morally ambiguous choice.

Written, Directed, and Edited by F. Javier Gutiérrez, the region of Seville in southern Spain was among the shooting locales. The film starts slowly with long static shots. The narrative, set in the Andalusian countryside, depicts a gamekeeper seeking revenge after losing everything… including his sanity. The script takes its time to develop the world the characters inhabit and the rules of their society. This adds emotional weight to the plot so I cared about Eladio and his predicament because of this. The pacing picks up around the 30-minute mark. A mystery gets added to the clichéd revenge plot. Eladio keeps finding mysterious objects inexplicably hidden on his ranch. They range from ordinary items to a boar’s heart. Why were these things hidden? Who put them there? Tension builds rapidly as the mystery unfolds. It genuinely kept me guessing, which I appreciate.

I like how the film is edited too. It shows long shots interwoven with tight close-ups for a balanced sense of what’s happening. Too often the editing can feel more dizzying than anything. Gutiérrez also shows the vastness of the countryside as well as the reactions of the character’s faces during personal conversations. This contrast elevates the film because the world built feels massive but the intimate moments ground the film. If you don’t care about the character’s journey then what’s the point of your movie?

While it’s not a gory film, per se, it does include impressive practical gore effects at times. There are sequences involving exquisite body horror. The sound editing amplifies the intensity of the situations too. One complaint I have is the movie needed more body horror because some scenes are dream sequences so Gutiérrez could’ve inserted a few more with ease.

Víctor Clavijo gives a standout performance playing Eladio. Is he hallucinating or is he really seeing what he sees? His deeply wrought emotional journey is felt with his phenomenal portrayal as the main protagonist grappling with the consequences of his decision.

The rest of the cast includes Ruth Díaz, Manuel Morón, Moisés Ruiz, Pedro Casablanc, Antonio Estrada, and Luis Callejo. They all fantastically fill out Eladio’s world, giving convincing performances to further establish the concepts set up from the beginning. It makes this world feel more lived in.

Overall, what could have been an ordinary, run-of-the-mill revenge plot is heightened with a multitude of elements of mystery and horror, as well as being a strongly written character study. On top of that, the Western type of setting gives a sense of isolation. It’s a well-crafted film with universal themes that are still relevant in the present day. The catastrophe that befalls its protagonist is a compelling, cautionary tale. The script deals with themes of revenge, grief, greed, and guilt. This grounds the film to make it feel more realistic. Too many movies nowadays don’t show that certain actions have consequences. It’s similar to Mandy (2018), When Evil Lurks (2023), and Oddity (2024). I highly recommend it. Beyond that, this film deserves all the awards it has earned. And remember, the film’s title suits it because The Wait for the next great horror movie is over.