Los monstruos no existen
2015 · 6m · España
Directed by Alberto Fuentes
Genres: coming-of-age, family, fantasy
Tones: contemplative, tender, whimsical
Pablo is a curious, dreamy boy convinced that a monster has invaded his wardrobe; his mother Sandra tries to reason with him and convince him to sleep with the torch off, explaining that monsters do not exist.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
It's competent magical-realism-for-kids stuff, but there's nothing here that makes me lean forward—just a boy, a mom, a wardrobe, and the expected resolution. Where's the twist that breaks the form?
A formally composed meditation on childhood terror and maternal patience, executed with the restraint of European family cinema; the dialogue between Pablo and Sandra recalls the psychological gentleness of Pialat or early Koreeda.
The genius move is how Fuentes sustains the monster's reality through the boy's POV without ever showing it—the camera stays with Pablo's gaze and breathing, and that commitment to his perspective is what makes the wardrobe feel genuinely haunted on a shoestring.