The Fortress (2022 film)

The Fortress (Spanish: La fortaleza) is a 2022 Spanish black comedy thriller film directed by Chiqui Carabante [es] which stars Fernando Cayo, Goya Toledo, José Manuel Poga, Fernando Tejero, Vito Sanz, Carla Nieto, and Lola Casamayor.

The Fortress
Theatrical release poster
Spanish	La fortaleza
Directed by	Chiqui Carabante
Screenplay by	Chiqui Carabante Salvador S. Molina David Orea
Starring	Fernando Cayo Goya Toledo José Manuel Poga Fernando Tejero Vito Sanz Carla Nieto Lola Casamayor Manuel Zarzo
Cinematography	Juan Hernández
Edited by	Cristina Laguna
Music by	Dario Valderrama
Production companies	Lolita Films Womack Studios Featurent Un Fin De Semana Juntos AIE
Distributed by	Syldavia Cinema
Release dates	5 November 2022 (2022-11-05) (Seville) 23 June 2023 (2023-06-23) (Spain)
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish

Plot

Upon the death of their father Arturo Viaplana, the Viaplana siblings (Arturo, Mónica, Jorge, Eduardo, and Paula) meet at the reading of the testament to find out about the recipient of the hefty inheritance, only to find out that their deceased father has set a macabre game.^[1][2]

Cast

• Fernando Cayo as Arturo^[2]
• Goya Toledo as Mónica^[2]
• José Manuel Poga as Jorge^[2]
• Carla Nieto [es] as Paula^[2]
• Vito Sanz as Eduardo^[2]
• Fernando Tejero as notario^[2] ('notary')
• Lola Casamayor [es] as Gertrudis^[2]
• Manuel Zarzo as Arturo padre^[2]
• Nacho Fresneda as marido de Mónica^[2] ('Mónica's husband')
• Manolo Solo as amigo de Jorge^[2] ('Jorge's friend')

Production

The film is a Lolita Films, Womack Studios, Featurent and Un Fin De Semana Juntos AIE production.^[3] Produced in association with Glow, it also has the participation of Canal Sur Radio y Televisión and Canal Extremadura and backing and sponsoring from ICAA, Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Crea SGR, Diputación de Badajoz [es] and Ayuntamiento de Almendralejo.^[3] Shooting locations in the province of Badajoz (Extremadura) included Mérida, Almendralejo, and Palomas.^[2]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 19th Seville European Film Festival in November 2022.^[4] Distributed by Syldavia Cinema,^[5] the film was released theatrically in Spain on 23 June 2023.

Reception

Sergio F. Pinilla of Cinemanía rated the "grotesque, macabre, and even a little bit coarse" film 3 out of 5 stars, underscoring it to be "a vernacular whodunit with more Glass Onion than Buñuel and Berlanga".^[6]

Raquel Hernández Luján of HobbyConsolas rated the film with 60 points ('acceptable'), pointing out that the efficiency of its best assets (the black humour and the broadsides) wanes as the film progressively deflates.^[7]

See also

• List of Spanish films of 2023