Assemble with care
Few films come along that genuinely rattle you, that tap into a primal fear of what could go wrong at any moment. Spanish director Caye Casas is here not only to rattle but break a few things with The Coffee Table — especially his audience — as he tells the story of a somewhat ‘fractured’ relationship through the eyes of married couple Jesus and Maria. Ignoring their tensions, they have just become parents and the owners of an item of furniture that is about to change their lives forever. Having already proved a robust festival life throughout 2023 — winning "Best Film" in the "Rebels with a Cause" section — the film is about to begin a limited US theatrical release, ahead of which Caye recently took time out to chat about furniture, fragility and film…
You have already mentioned in previous interviews that you "… wanted to make one of the cruellest films ever made, one that people cannot forget." How did you plan on approaching such a horrific central premise?
It was easy. I love genre films, but few films really scare me. So, I asked myself: “What scares me most in life?” And the answer was not ghosts, monsters, or zombies. What scares me the most is real life. Specifically a cruel destiny: the bad luck that any of us can have and the terrible things that can happen to us in real life. I believe that hell exists... and it is not a place with fire and the devil. Hell is what we must live with if destiny is a cruel bitch.
What is it about the contrast of domesticity and terror you feel works so well in modern horror?
I think modern horror is closer to people's real fears. I think it works very well to tell stories about normal people who find themselves caught up in a terror that could actually happen. In the case of my film, it is clearly seen; that it is terror without artifice and could happen to any of us. “The Coffee Table may not be a horror movie, but it is a terrifying movie about a relatable situation that could (God forbid) could happen to any of us. Also, I don't use paranormal factors, monsters or anything like that, just a small table. I think there is some merit in the fact the public lives such a hard and unforgettable experience with so few horror elements.
Albeit, abstract, I couldn't help but think of David Lynch's Eraserhead in this study of relationships and the pressures all of that may bring surrounding a fragile new life.
I think life is very fragile in many ways. It can be complicated to live in this world we have created. So many bad things can happen to us. We can suffer from so many things: family, money, illnesses, accidents... we are like Bambi dancing through a war zone. So, life gives you many themes to make horror movies, you just have to ask yourself what fears you have and do it. For example, I have recently finished writing another horror script about our dreams. I hope I can shoot that film because it talks about all that human fragility and a large part of our fears.
Talking more about fragility there is also this interesting look at the ‘fragile father figure’, in particular. Do you feel it is rare we see such characters in modern films? If so, why?
I believe that the parents of my generation (40/50 years old) are more fragile than those of past generations. They are modern parents who raise their children differently, who are more involved in sentimental and emotional issues with their children. That is why we can create very rich characters with many nuances along with creating stories through their fears and fragility. Parents today are more sensitive due to modern problems as they suffer from stress, depression and almost all of them get divorced. They are not as self-sacrificing as our parents or grandparents. And, of course, they become protagonists of modern horror because many of today’s directors are parents of this generation and know how to explain what happens to them.
Children seem such a synonymous part of Spanish cinema — from Who Can Kill a Child? To The Orphanage — and The Coffee Table is no exception. Historically, as a Spanish filmmaker yourself, do you feel this becomes somewhat unavoidable?
Who can kill a Child? is one of my favourite horror movies. I don't know if the prominence that children have is something so specific to Spanish cinema, but there is certainly a certain taboo about something bad happening to a child in any film. I think that if you make genre films you have to be risky, and if terrifying things happen to children, it is because it is terrifying for something bad to happen to a child. As a filmmaker, I don't want to censor myself... as I suppose you have seen! [Laughs]
Whether intentional or not, there is a whiff of myth and fairytale. There is this underlining cruelty with the wife who cackles and attempts to control her husband. Was this intentional?
The worst kind of accident. Jesus (David Pareja) attempts to wash away more than the blood.
Yes. I wanted the wife to be the strong part of the couple; the one who dominates and the one who decides. Besides, we find a couple that is in crisis. They are not in the best moment… and I wanted to underline this with her character: a woman with a strong personality. Considering this, I wanted to take advantage of the actress Estefanía de los Santos, making the most of her talent and voice delivering this strong character of Maria who contrasts the protagonist, Jesus, played by David Pareja. I think they make a very curious duo: his weakness vs her strength. And, of course, there are moments when she may seem like a witch... but we are in a genre film and, therefore, there has to be some exaggeration.
The film is surprisingly funny, especially during the first act. Was this all part of adding to the ‘impact’ of the terror, as with any good horror, luring the audience in?
I want to surprise the audience even before they take their seats in the cinema. Already with the title of the film, it is a very harmless title. Not terrifying at all. Then I wanted to start the story with black humour; comic characters — such as the salesman of the table — the girl… just make people laugh a little before putting them through hell… 90 minutes of unbearable discomfort. I want people to feel strong emotions with my films — to never forget them — because it is important to surprise, play with the audience, trick them… make them feel alive.
Do the figurines symbolize anything in particular… or was it designed for the audience to just react to this item of furniture in the same way Jesus and Maria do?
We wanted a horrible table, something very ugly; different and kitschy. We didn't have the budget to buy it and a friend who collects antiques gave it to us. He didn't even want to sell it since no one wanted it… so that says a lot, really [laughs]. It had to be a table that almost no one likes, and I think we achieved that. By the way, I have it at home. I kept it. But without glass!
If they survive (with their emotions intact) what would you want audiences to take away from your film?
I would like them never to forget the experience. For better or worse. And, as mentioned, I would also want them to see how fragile we all are, to see that at any moment our life can break like irreparable glass. I would also like to think audiences will talk about the film as I don't think they will have seen many films like The Coffee Table. Yes, it’s cruel and a hard viewing experience, but I hope one that you can also laugh at. I’m confident in saying it is unforgettable and I hope the North American public will be shocked. This is a production shot in just 10 days, at a friend's house, with very little money, but it will ‘hit home’ achieving an enormous emotional response in everyone who sees it... don't you think?
There is no question about that!
The Coffee Table will begin a limited theatrical run beginning in Los Angeles at Laemmle Glendale on April 19, with additional markets to follow including New York, Austin, and Chicago. The film will arrive on DVD and VOD on May 14.