Contratiempo is a Spanish foreign language film about a businessman who is the prime suspect in a murder case.
The film is a true thriller full of suspense, uncertainty, misdirection and plausibility.
Contratiempo follows the main character and his lawyer as he recounts the details from the night of the questioned murder.
Synopsis
The main character Adrián has everything a man can dream of; a great job, fame, money and a beautiful family. But all is not as it seems as Adrián has a few secrets of his own. One of which includes an affair with another woman named Laura.
Following an evening encounter at a hotel, Laura is found dead and Adrián is found unconscious in the room with her.
Soon the police barge into the hotel room and find Adrián on the floor holding the murder weapon. They put the pieces together and arrest him.
Adrián quickly becomes the lead suspect of a high profile investigation. He insists there is more to the story. As he pieces together the events of the night with his lawyer, the audience learns just how complicated the entire scenario is.
Important Themes
Contratiempo is a film coated in mystery and touches on the focus we as a society have over court hearings involving famous individuals.
The film focuses on the murder of Laura as a "crime of passion." In real life, as noted in this Telegraph article, killers can use sexual infidelity as a defense in murder cases, claiming that it can be ruled as a justified reason for loosing control.
The film also touches on corruption within the Spanish judicial system. With an emphasis of bribes, blackmail and candidate profiling practices which help the rich and famous escape their punishments.
Moreover, as noted from this GAN business anti-corruption profile, many large companies and those who are privileged see no issue with the system. Whereas half of Spanish citizens consider the judiciary to be corrupt, with concerns around judges having strong political influences.
Conclusion
All in all Contratiempo is a wonderful example of how a film can also be something of a riddle, testing the viewer at every turn.
As the film goes forward you will understand just how much of a story there is to tell, and how your opinion can change when you look at events from a different perspective.
Contratiempo will definitely keep you guessing till the very end.
In my opinion, Contratiempo is a must watch if you are a fan of thriller and suspense films.
I enjoyed all of the twists and turns the film had. I was especially a huge fan of the mind-bending and impressive ending.