The Coffee Table Blu Ray Review (Second Sight Films)

The Coffee Table (aKa La Mesita Del Comedor) is a 2022 dark drama co-written, edited, production design, and directed by Caye Casas (Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales, Killing God, RIP, Nothing C.O., and Terrassa V.O.). It was co-written and produced by Cristina Borobia (Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales). It was produced by Norbert Llaràs (Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales, Valenciana, Timecrimes, Blank Bullet, The Perfect Witness, Alpha, and Palabras Verdaderas). It grossed $27,462 at the box office worldwide during it’s limited theatrical run. Married couple Jesus (played by: David Pareja from Amigo, Biotopía, Tus Monstruos, Mambo, and Pijamas Espaciales) and Maria (played by: Estefanía De Los Santos from Jaulas, Unit 7, 4 Estrellas, La Esfera, and The Witches of Calenda) are brand new parents. They are just trying to adjust to all of the new changes in their lives but they are consistently fighting over everything. Jesus has let his wife Marie control most of their relationship but when they are out shopping, he finds the perfect coffee table that he must own. She doesn’t want to buy it but he decides to make the decision for them this time. It ends up being the biggest mistake and a living nightmare for the inexperienced father, some things can’t be fixed!!!! The Coffee Table is a really dark drama from Spain. Director Caye Casas delivers a simple yet rememberable natural horror feature. It takes place at one main location for the most part and it only has a few characters in it. The script displays a bickering couple that’s just became parents looking for new furniture for their comfy home. Jesus is drawn to this unique coffee table but his wife really doesn’t want it. Jesus has let her decide almost everything until today, he buys it despite her complaining. What happens next will alter their existence forever. David Pareja as Jesus is very passive and he just goes with whatever these days. Pareja gives a fantastic performance as a destroyed father trying to decide what to do when tragedy hits. Estefanía De Los Santos is the dominating Maria. She likes the power in their relationship and she wants to be in charge of almost all of their decisions. She’s great as the stressed mother that just doesn’t understand her partner’s struggles. These two have tense chemistry, you never know what version you will get from them. The supporting cast includes Josep Maria Riera (Superlopez), Claudia Riera (The Offering), Eduardo Antuña (Crazy About Her), and Damià Fustagueras Petit. The Coffee Table is not exactly a horror feature but it deals with a horror situation. This drama with suspense, comedy, and anxiety is a slow burner. It probably could have been a short but it still works as a full length but you do have to be a little patient with it. There’s a weird subplot where a little girl that’s a neighbor is in love with Jesus and she’s threatening to tell the wife about their flirtation. Jesus acts like she’s delusional but she seems to believe it like it’s real so it makes you wonder. It’s only 89 minutes but I think it would flowed much better without 10 minutes of filler material. Regardless, The Coffee Table is unique with it’s awful scenario. The ending is crazy but I wish they actually showed it. It’s not really a gory or a violent production, lots of it is implied off screen but it’s more psychological. I can see it being one of those either love it or hate it type of films. I appreciate something with a solid build up so I can accept the slower pace here, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Second Sight Films! This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer is a solid improvement over the DVD that was released in the states in 2024 from Cinephobia Releasing. It still hasn’t had a HD home video release here so this brand new disc from Second Sight is your best option when it comes to this dark drama for a sharper presentation. It has an Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on the disc. The Coffee Table isn’t an action packed or loud movie so the audio isn’t anything crazy here but it’s very good for what it is. The dialogue is crisp, the anxiety is elevated, and the music has a nice boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has a “Audio Commentary” with Zoë Rose Smith and Amber T. They show their appreciation for the independent Spanish production. They provide plenty of information while viewing the film. It has the little over 23 minute “What Scares Us the Most: a new interview with Director Caye Casas”. He chats about his early career. He talks about horror in Spain. He goes over his experiences with The Coffee Table. It has the little over 15 minute “A Sensory Journey: a new interview with Actor David Pareja”. He chats about the concept and the script. He talks about his character and working on it. It has the little over 12 minute “We Are All Nuts: a new interview with Actor Estefanía de los Santos”. She chats about it’s shocking story and how the script grabbed her attention. She admits to not being a huge horror fan. She talks about her working relationship with the director for this project. It has the little over 11 minute “Natural Oppression: a new interview with Director of Photography Alberto Morago”. He chats about his previous collaborations with the fim maker. He talks about the visual style and technical aspects of this low budget feature. It has the little over 19 minute “Postpartum: Rebecca Sayce on The Coffee Table”. She shares her thoughts on The Coffee Table. She breaks down the darker drama. It has a few Caye Casas short films which includes the 16 minute “RIP” and the 16 minute “Nada S.A.”. It’s nice to see the earlier work from Caye Casas. Both of them were really interesting. All of the extras besides the commentary are in Spanish with English subtitles. It’s packed with brand new exclusive extras for this. There’s a limited edition version available, this is the standard retail home video release. It’s available everywhere in the U.K. plus select online spots online in the states, CHECK IT OUT!!!!