The Occupant – ABC Film Challenge – World Cinema – O – The Occupant – Movie Review
Director: David Pastor, Alex Pastor
Writer: David Pastor, Alex Pastor (Screenplay)
Cast
- Javier Gutierrez (Assassin’s Creed)
- Mario Casas (Three Steps Above Heaven)
- Bruna Cusi (Summer 1993)
- Ruth Diaz (The Fury of a Patient Man)
Plot: Javier Muñoz, once a successful executive, makes the fateful decision to leave his home, which he and his family can no longer afford.
Runtime: 1 Hour 43 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Occupant starts when successful executive Javier Munoz (Gutierrez) struggles to find a new job. He eventually decides to move his family into a small home as he continues his search. However, he decides he misses his old home too much and decides to befriend the new owner Tomas (Casas).
As Javier gets close to Tomas, he gets to meet his family while making up his own back story to explain why he was in an addiction meeting. This leads to a dangerously close relationship that could see his estranged friendship exposed.
Verdict on The Occupant
The Occupant is a thriller following a businessman who has seen his life crash. He is trying to rebuild his career, however, he isn’t getting very far with his chase. This leads him to relocate his family and start missing his old home, leading to him getting close to the new members of the household.
The movie is one that offers up plenty of discussions. It shows how desperate formerly employed people become when their lives start falling apart. This keeps everything on edge as we wait to see what Javier will do next after getting caught up in this world. There are twists and turns along the way that keep us wondering how far he will go. Deep down this does feel a lot like Falling Down only using a different direction to show the mental break Javier goes through.
Final Thoughts – The Occupant is a simmering thriller waiting to explode.
