Even for a streaming service that hosts They Cloned Tyrone, German multi-timeline mind-bender Dark, and a dating show called Sexy Beasts, this recent Netflix original is a new level of weird. Directed by the celebrated Chilean director Pablo Larraín, the history-inspired vampire fantasy El Conde is another addition to the filmmaker’s notable movies, which blend history and fiction. But this film is by far his most horrific, fantastical, and even comedic, so check out all the details on this bizarre Netflix original below if you dare.
El Conde Synopsis
El Conde tells a fantasy take on the life of Augusto Pinochet, the dictator of Chile who had himself declared President in the late 20th century after a military coup. The film, presented in arresting black-and-white, shows Pinochet as an elderly vampire ready to die, if not for the last few people still clinging to maintaining his existence. With the arrival of his adult children to his remote location, things get strange and complicated for the ex-dictator longing for death.
The Wonders and Difficulties of Pablo Larraín
Director Pablo Larraín has become a critical darling and a source of frustration to the public over the last decade. The Gael García Bernal-led 2012 film No introduced Larraín’s talents globally through an Academy Award nomination and started his notoriety as a director of historical fiction scripts. His first English-language movies, Jackie and Spencer, solidified his presence in American film, but with a degree of controversy.
These films, telling speculated takes on critical moments in the lives of Jacqueline Kennedy and Diana Spencer, received the ire of a select group of angry filmgoers confused by the depictions of these icons favored by the United States. Though Larraín had no screenwriting credits on his most famous films, his evocative, visually resplendent filmmaking style cemented his reputation as a man who tackled historical fiction with a careful yet fearless eye. El Conde, the fifth film in this informal series, marks a return to the Spanish language, effectively displaying perhaps his most daring, odd work yet.
‘El Conde’ on Netflix
The Powerful, Perplexing Nature of Satire
Though the overarching story here is a traditional Dracula tale of murder and gore, El Conde is a satire at its core, attempting to comment on Pinochet’s evils through the lens of vampiric fantasy. The production is undeniably gorgeous, and the effectively paced horror blends with the dry humor well, but one wishes that the script, co-written by Larraín, was a bit deeper or more revealing of their subjects. It is a similar criticism you can make with his other films, particularly Neruda and Spencer, and undoubtedly, El Conde is an acquired taste; some will find it as or more entertaining than the rest of Larraín’s historical fictions, while others will only see it as bewildering.
Luckily, split reactions to El Conde do not detract from its quality, and Larraín is still getting the exact effect he wants from his filmmaking approach. This full-circle moment of returning to Pinochet and other discussions on Chilean politics is welcome, however atypical it may be. This individual work is a lesser creative success for those who return to Netflix for its auteur filmmakers, a precedent now plainly set thanks to numerous awards nominations in the past several years. Whether you find it Larraín’s best, worst, or first film in your watch history, El Conde is one you will not soon forget.
El Conde is streaming now on Netflix.
