Directors: Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo

Stars: Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Penélope Cruz

This dazzling, dense, genre-juggling triptych sees the Spanish writer-director team of Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo exploring the queer experience over three interlocking time periods. It begins in 1937, when a small Spanish village is holding a celebration to welcome nationalist rebel comrades from Italy. The parade is disrupted by an airstrike in which scores of villagers are killed. Callow young man Sebastián (Spanish singer Guitarricadelafuente, impressive in his acting debut) manages to escape, only to be pressganged into the Spanish fascist militia. The narrative jumps back five years where a young upper-class man Carlos (Quifes) is turned down, or black-balled (hence the title), from joining his father’s prestigious social club because of rumours about his sexuality. The third strand, set in 2017 has gay writer and historian Alberto (González) finding out that his grandfather, who Alberto has never met, has left him an important document. The document turns out to be what connects the three stories in surprising ways. The filmmakers skilfully weave the threads together before bringing them to a satisfying conclusion in a rich, stylistically promiscuous and bold but unified picture, while musing on love, art, identity, and those Latin cinema perennials: secrets and personal and national history. Scenes range from huge set pieces to warm intimate moments and fantastical visions, all soundtracked to an eclectic mix of music. The three leads are great, and the film features two choice cameos—the first with Penélope Cruz crackles with energy and camp fabulousness.

David Willoughby

Follow David on Bluesky @davidwilloughby.bsky.social