Overview
A hilarious clash of egos unfolds on the set of a groundbreaking film, where ambition meets absurdity.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- theatrical
- movie night with cinephiles
- light international comedy viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's tight focus, sharp humor, ensemble performances, and accessible satire of filmmaking and celebrity culture.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Billionaire Humberto Suárez abandons a civic project for a high-profile film intended to secure his legacy and fame.
Lola's rehearsals and increasingly elaborate tests make the actors' creative process itself the film's comic subject.
Method-oriented theater actor Iván Torres and Hollywood star Félix Rivero repeatedly clash over status, talent, and acting technique.
The principal dramatic tests unfold in controlled rehearsal and performance spaces where Lola traps the two actors together.
Films like Official Competition, and why
The Player
Shared sharp satire of celebrity culture, filmmaking, and ego-driven professional rivalry.
Noises Off
Shared witty backstage setting, theatrical egos, and escalating comic antagonism among performers.
Adaptation.
Shared meta-cinematic humor, artistic pretension, and uncomfortable clashes between ambitious creators.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Shared theatrical comedy built around rivalry, vanity, and competing ideas of artistic authenticity.
Movie Details
- Directors
- Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn
- Release Date
- 2021-09-04
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (460)
Cast
- Antonio Banderas
- Penélope Cruz
- Oscar Martínez
- José Luis Gómez
- Manolo Solo
- Nagore Aranburu
- Irene Escolar
- Pilar Castro
- Koldo Olabarri
- Juan Grandinetti
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Official Competition about?
- A billionaire's prestige project becomes a gleefully theatrical duel between a provocateur director and two actors whose egos are bigger than their talent can contain.
- What is Official Competition like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Official Competition as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Official Competition violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Official Competition.
- What did critics think of Official Competition?
- Critics broadly praised the film's tight focus, sharp humor, ensemble performances, and accessible satire of filmmaking and celebrity culture.
- Which films are like Official Competition?
- Films with a similar feel include The Player, Noises Off, Adaptation., and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).
- How long is Official Competition?
- Official Competition runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch Official Competition?
- In United States, Official Competition streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now.
