El Pico
Directed by Eloy de la Iglesia
Paco is the son of a conservative law enforcement officer. His best friend is Urko, whose father is a progressive socialist politician. Both young men are heroin addicts. EL PICO is the intricately woven story of Paco and Urko trekking ever deeper into the seedy world of the illicit drug trade in early-‘80s Spain. It chronicles a period of upheaval in the lives of these unlikely friends, as their addiction leads them to escalating criminal activity, kicking off a chain reaction of bloodshed and tragedy. EL PICO shines an unforgiving light into the dark corners of the drug underworld and explores the complexities of family lives that straddle the line between both sides of the law.
EL PICO is the intricately woven story of Paco and Urko trekking ever deeper into the seedy underworld of the illicit drug trade in early-‘80s Spain.
Cast: José Luis Manzano, José Manuel Cervino, Luis Iriondo, Enrique San Francisco, Andrea Albani
Member Reviews
This is one of those films that I think was probably more potent at the time. It certainly doesn't hold back but I feel like I've seen this sort of "the depravity of drug addiction" story many times over and for the most part, it doesn't hold a lot new for me. To say that it has the moral compass of an after school special would be extremely reductive but it does follow loosely the same path, albeit with more nudity and violence. I think what holds me back a bit is simply I have a hard time being invested emotionally in the leads, who kind of suck from the jump. Maybe that was a refreshing change of pace in it's era for the then popular "delinquent" films, but I feel like I was lacking on something to hold onto emotionally since intellectually I've been here before and stylistically, it was merely fine. But I really did enjoy the last scene a lot, which did grab me more than the rest of the film. That said, the choice of music for the last moment is bewildering. Am I supposed to read it as ironic or is the happy music inserted with genuine hope for the future. Considering there's a sequel, it would seem it's some unfounded hope...
This delves into the seedy underbelly of drug addiction, civil guard and political corruption in Spain, family bonds, and the sadness that comes with losing innocence in such a horrible way.
Great movie. Themes covered: addiction, the bond between a father and his family, and personal vs. professional morals. This movie gives great insight into the culture and life in Spain during the 80's. If needles make you squeamish, this movie will make you barf. Presented in the beautiful language of Spanish, the story encompasses you and transports you to a world not too far from home. The true horror of this movie is that drugs have the power to turn people into monsters. Desperation can lead a man to do the unspeakable.
Not your usual horror but give this a chance its brutal
A powerful, disturbing film. Thank you, Shudder, for making some of Eloy de la Iglesia's unjustly overlooked films available here. ¡Más, por favor!