• Release year: 1962
• Director: Luis Buñuel.
• Producer: Gustavo Alatriste.
• Screenplay by: Luis Buñuel.
• Cinematography by: Gabriel Figueroa.
• Musical director: Raúl Lavista.

Shotgun Commentary: proof that horror can be shockingly simple and absolutely perfect in its plainness.

Review

The Exterminating Angel (El ángel exterminador) is a feature-length Twilight Zone episode. Not literally, but almost. In it, a group of wealthy people get together for a party, but can’t seem to be able to leave.

Despite nothing impeding their exit, none of them can make it past the living room. In the same manner, no one from the outside seems to be able to get in. Radiance has restored a 4K scan of this incredible thriller, available in their box set “Nothing is Sacred”. More details after the review!

Shine vs. dirt

This is, by far, this writer’s favourite Buñuel film. It is one of the most unhinged features ever made, yet it doesn’t rest on camp to be completely bonkers. Furthermore, the lush atmosphere where the horror takes place serves many purposes, two of which are incredibly relevant to get the intensity of the story across.

Other than great in terms of budget, the space where everything happens creates a stark contrast with the action. Rich people of “good breeding”, whatever that is, slowly but surely become animals, losing all social etiquette or manners. After a few days, their presence in such luxurious room is almost as strange as that of the sheep.

The other main purpose of the decoration is to serve as a reminder of their initial situation, as well as a commentary on materialism. When food and water are scarce, what good are your silver trays and cutlery? Seeing characters that look like they just jumped out of Cast Away (2000) and landed on that living room is hilarious in the darkest of ways. Additionally, seeing them try to hold on to the little things that make them remember who they are, such as combs or shavers, is tragic in the most comedic way possible.

The key of horror

The combination of comedy and misfortune is not foreign to Buñuel, films like Simon of the Desert (1965) are proof of it, but the addition of the type of tension only a thriller can provide is the final stroke to creating a masterpiece. The simplicity of the horror element that is introduced is absolutely genius.

Guillermo del Toro reflects on this further on the extra content of the Radiance’s box set, but the concept is essentially to subtract one element of a regular narrative and seeing how the story evolves without it. Much like the butterfly effect, if you take out just one element and create an impossibility with its absence, everything will crumble and, if one is to go by The Exterminating Angel’s example, the end result will be brilliant.

Naturally, none of the story would worth if it weren’t for the work of great actors like Enrique Rambal, Jaqueline Andere, and a usual in Buñuel’s work: Silvia Pinal. You might have seen the actress before on films like Viridiana (1961) or Simon of the de Desert. She doesn’t have as much protagonist in this movie, but she shines just as bright. The slow descent into madness leading to a climax in which she is the centre of attention, using the intensity of her acting to deliver a wonderful twist.

All in all, The Exterminating Angel is a perfect combination of thriller, comedy and drama. A blend of ugliness and beauty, comedy and horror, right and wrong, that grabs your attention from the very first minute and doesn’t let go for a second.

Radiance’s box set “Nothing is Sacred” will be released the 16th of December, but it is already available for pre-order on their website. Link below!

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 4K restorations of Viridiana and Simon of the Desert from the original negatives
• A new restoration of The Exterminating Angel from a 4K scan by Radiance Films
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio for each film
• Newly filmed appreciations for each film and Buñuel by filmmakers Richard Ayoade, Alex Cox, Guillermo del Toro, and Lulu Wang (2024, 55 mins)
• The Life and Times of Don Luis Buñuel – A BBC Arena documentary on Buñuel featuring contributions from Buñuel and collaborators including Catherine Deneuve, presented on Blu-ray for the first time (1983, 101 mins)
• A Mexican Buñuel  – A documentary directed by Emilio Maillé on Buñuel’s Mexican period (1995, 56 mins)
• Buñuel: A Surrealist Filmmaker – A feature-length documentary directed by Javier Espada on Buñuel’s life and career, presented on Blu-ray for the first time (2021, 84 mins)
• An interview with Buñuel from 1964 recorded for French TV’s Cinéastes de notre temps (1964, 48 mins)
• The Other Trinity: Alatriste, Buñuel and Pinal – A visual essay on Buñuel in Mexico by Abraham Castillo Flores (2024, 34 mins)
• Dinner and Other Rituals – A visual essay on The Exterminating Angel and the dinner party on film by critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (2024, 17 mins)
• Audio commentary on Viridiana by critic Michael Brooke (2024)
• Galleries including production and behind-the-scenes images
• Optional English subtitles for each film
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde
• Limited edition 80-page book featuring new writing by Glenn Kenny, Justine Smith, Lindsay Hallam and David Hering, as well as archive material
• Limited edition of 6000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Find the Radiance release right here!

Advice to take from this movie:

• There’s nothing like an eat-the-rich thriller to lift one’s spirit.
• Erasing one natural element from a narrative results in pretty awesome horror.
• Careful which pipes you burst on your search for water.

What’s your take? Have you watched The Exterminating Angel? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀