Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- paranoid
- grotesque
- frantic
- late night viewing
- dark comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film’s relentless pressure-cooker energy and inventive black humor, while divided reactions focused on its shrill aesthetic and increasingly weak script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The bar’s regulars are trapped inside a decrepit central Madrid café while unexplained deaths occur outside and paranoia spreads among them.
The motley urbanites turn on one another as fear, suspicion, and self-preservation overwhelm ordinary manners.
The suspected sniper and disappearing bodies trigger collective hysteria, making suspicion circulate through the group like an infection.
Critics specifically identified the film’s garish, more-more-more aesthetic and overwhelming pace as defining features.
Films like The Bar, and why
Rope
Shares claustrophobic single-location suspense, escalating paranoia, dark comedy, and grotesque social satire.
The Hateful Eight
Combines trapped ensemble dynamics, suspicion, moral breakdown, and pressure-cooker thriller tension.
The Last Circus
Shares blackly comic horror, abrasive character interactions, absurd violence, and escalating social chaos.
Movie Details
- Director
- Álex de la Iglesia
- Release Date
- 2017-02-15
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (1381)
Cast
- Blanca Suárez
- Mario Casas
- Carmen Machi
- Secun de la Rosa
- Jaime Ordóñez
- Terele Pávez
- Alejandro Awada
- Tony Lam
- Sue Flack
- Daniele Fileti
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Bar about?
- A gunshot traps a cross-section of Madrid strangers in a bar where survival depends on deciding whether the real threat is outside or among them.
- What is The Bar like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bar as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Bar violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Bar as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Bar?
- Critics broadly recognized the film’s relentless pressure-cooker energy and inventive black humor, while divided reactions focused on its shrill aesthetic and increasingly weak script.
- Which films are like The Bar?
- Films with a similar feel include Rope, The Hateful Eight, and The Last Circus.
- How long is The Bar?
- The Bar runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Bar?
- In United States, The Bar is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
