10

Antonio Banderas is almost unrecognisable in this horror-action-thriller film, especially if you’re thinking along the lines of his performance as “Zorro” and the 1998 performance of “The Phantom of the Opera” with Sarah Brightman, in conjunction with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 50th birthday. The heart attack Antonio Banderas had in 2017 may have affected his features and his looks, and therefore given him a different perspective to his acting and life.

Banderas’ later films, especially 2011 onwards, would see him play the bad guy.

Environmentally-conscious audience members would know that there will be consequences whenever human beings mess with nature and the ecosystem. So, yeah, take this film as you wish.

In this 96-minute film, Banderas departs from his good guy roles, and plays the villain, gangster instead. He’s the mastermind behind the killings of some of those who initially expected a calming, stress-free diving trip in Mexico. After all, most people would like a certain break after graduating college, if you can afford to have a good and memorable one.

Being Spanish himself, Banderas of course delivers some of his lines in Spanish, which doesn’t distract you from watching the film, even if you don’t understand them, although the dialogue in the beginning can feel a little flat. In fact, it gives a certain unique flavour for non-Spanish-speaking audiences, especially if they can already tell where the story is going.

The plot is straightforward, not exactly new. But Banderas’ acting is one you won’t want to miss, especially when he’s already 60-something.

US-based singer-actress Laura Marano, courtesy of “Are You Smarter than A 5th Grader” and the Disney Channel series “Austin & Ally”, is also given the lead role.

Audio is mainly in English, although there’s some Spanish. Subtitles in both Malay and Chinese are available to cater to the multilingual Malaysian audience of various backgrounds.

The film has been given a rating of 16 by Malaysia’s Lembaga Penapisan Filem (LPF) or Film Censorship Board.

José Antonio Domínguez Bandera was born is Spain and made his US debut in 1992 in a musical drama. Understandably, he adopted the stage name Antonio Banderas to cater to the international audience, outside of the Hispanic community. In 2003, Banderas made his debut on Broadway with the musical “Nine”. As a result of his performance, he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in that particular musical. He has also been voicing the character “Puss in Boots” (2004-present) in the “Shrek” films.

In 2019, Banderas bagged awards for Best Actor presented at the Cannes Film Festival, The Goya Award, European Film Award each.

Banderas’ aim was to break the mould by being cast in good guy roles, as there are often stereotypes surrounding Spanish male actors and acting roles. So, from very early on, he made a conscious decision to earn roles that depict him as a good guy on-screen.