Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- wistful
- intimate
- witty
- quiet evening
- arthouse movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an appealing, emotionally perceptive Spanish ensemble drama with strong performances and several intersecting relationship stories.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jorge, Antonio, Paula, Natalia, and Israel each carry distinct romantic, sexual, or familial dilemmas that develop alongside one another.
Jorge’s search for a better job is repeatedly complicated by his duty to care for his disabled father.
The title’s dark-blue-almost-black clothing motif reflects Jorge’s effort to project a more successful life than his circumstances allow.
Israel secretly photographs men visiting an erotic masseur and confronts an unexpected truth about his own desires.
Films like Dark Blue Almost Black, and why
The Olive Tree
Shared intimate spanish ensemble drama, romantic entanglements, family pressure, and understated bittersweet warmth.
The Secret of the Eyes
Shared character-driven relationship drama, working-class constraints, and emotionally complicated family bonds.
7 Virgins
Shared spanish social realism, youthful romantic uncertainty, and interwoven personal crises.
Pride
Shared LGBTQ-related subplot, awkward sexuality, and humane dramedy treatment of unconventional relationships.
Movie Details
- Director
- Daniel Sánchez Arévalo
- Release Date
- 2006-03-24
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (121)
Cast
- Quim Gutiérrez
- Antonio de la Torre
- Raúl Arévalo
- Héctor Colomé
- Eva Pallarés
- Manuel Morón
- Ana Wagener
- Roberto Enríquez
- Alba Gárate
- Marta Aledo
Common questions
- What is Dark Blue Almost Black about?
- A young Madrid caretaker navigates family duty, precarious work, tangled desire, and the destabilizing return of his first love.
- What is Dark Blue Almost Black like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dark Blue Almost Black as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dark Blue Almost Black violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dark Blue Almost Black as mild.
- What did critics think of Dark Blue Almost Black?
- Critics broadly found the film an appealing, emotionally perceptive Spanish ensemble drama with strong performances and several intersecting relationship stories.
- Which films are like Dark Blue Almost Black?
- Films with a similar feel include The Olive Tree, The Secret of the Eyes, 7 Virgins, and Pride.
- How long is Dark Blue Almost Black?
- Dark Blue Almost Black runs 105 minutes.
