- Kharla Grace
Welcome to the Spoiler Space by K. Grace! I am here to review and essentially spoil movies and books that you weren’t really going to watch or read, but are interested in nonetheless. Or if you’re like me and actually love spoilers *gasp* (mostly to emotionally prepare me for the shit that goes down).
So, if any of you also have a Netflix account (or a friend's account that you use), you most likely have seen The Occupant all over your feed. I, being the good friend I am, watched it alongside my two close friends, Francis and Sergio, so that you won't have to.
Is it worth the watch?
NOT REALLY.
Spoiler-free Review:
It was annoyingly frustrating. From beginning to end, I truly had no clue where the film was heading. I kind of had the faintest idea what his motivations were, but there was a lack of logic to his choices. In my opinion, the film was stale. There were no significant plot or character developments. The film knows exactly where to deliver some shocking twists and turns right when you're inching towards your remote or mouse to exit out of this aggravating mess. The twists don't even really serve a real purpose to move the plot forward, it really just is there to lure you back in. But I mean if you like spending your time screaming at the top of your lungs at the stupidity of some of the characters in this film, then this is your cup of tea. If you would prefer to do something more worthwhile with your time, I suggest doing that.
STOP READING PASSED THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
We begin the film with a commercial depicting this incredibly happy family living their best life implying you may too have this life if you purchase the refrigerator. It is shown to be Javier's past work that he is presenting to his two interviewers at a potential new place of work. You can quickly surmise that the two young and hip marketers find his ideals within his portfolio are out of date and predictable compared to the new world of marketing. (Which brought me back to all those marketing classes I took in college.) By the end of the interview, he almost had to pay for the parking at the company which further infuriated him. (I don't know why, but this really made me laugh. Like y'all called him old and outdated, didn't offer him a job, and he still has to pay your absurd parking fee.)
Javier then drives to his luxurious apartment in an upper-class neighborhood for dinner with his wife and son. It is revealed that they will soon be moving out as they can no longer afford the rent, and will be switching their view of Barcelona's skyline to a billboard in a poorer neighborhood (Which I thought was an actual skyline view, but nope I too was duped.) Javier's son doesn't mind the move as long as he doesn't have to stay at his private school where he is already being bullied for his weight.
It is quickly evident that Javier is unhappy with every aspect of his life. He still has not found a new place of employment, his wife smells of bleach after coming home from a long day of work, and his son is still being harassed. Javier takes it upon himself to go jogging with his son, pushing him until he vomits in the middle of the street. In Javier's eyes, everything must be picture perfect. However, it isn't until his former colleague tricks him into interviewing and almost accepting an unpaid internship, that he reaches his breaking point.
After kicking his own car, he discovers that he still has a set of keys to his old apartment. He goes back to his old apartment to observe the new family living in it (as opposed to job hunting, going to classes, or selling his car like he's been telling his wife). Javier browses through the family's photos, eats their cereal, and shits in their toilet (this was the part where I started screaming, QUICK TIP TO ALWAYS CHANGE YOUR LOCKS WHEN YOU MOVE INTO A NEW PLACE). While in the study, he discovers the husband's sobriety chips along with a police report on the computer (Which another quick tip - for one, I learned the hard way - HAVE A PASSWORD ON YOUR DEVICES!) stated the husband was intoxicated while driving, resulting in a crash that injured both his wife and daughter.
Javier uses this information to seek out the husband, whom we learn is Tomas, at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at the church. He pretends to be a recovering alcoholic whose wife and daughter left, in order to get closer to Tomas. (I honestly was so confused by his motives, like was he gonna take back his apartment by befriending Tomas?) He asks Tomas for advice over coffee, and to be his sponsor.
When Javier realizes that Tomas and his wife, Lara, fight often, Javier breaks back into the apartment to change Tomas' calendar. He alters the time Tomas is supposed to pick up his daughter, Monica. Then Javier waits at a pub across the street as Tomas and Lara argue. Before long, Javier smooth-talks himself to being invited over for dinner with Tomas and Lara.
While waiting outside of the apartment complex, Javier is noticed and recognized by the groundskeeper, Damian. Javier tells Damian he is only there to collect some mail. During dinner with Tomas' family, Tomas confides in Javier that he works as the Vice President at Lara's father's company. Tomas notes that is the only reason why he is successful.
Then, Javier purposefully drives his car into a beam. He calls Tomas for help. When Tomas arrives, Javier feigns being drunk and Tomas has to wrestle for the alcohol bottle. During the struggle, Javier spills the alcohol on Tomas. Tomas tries to give Javier advice by comparing alcoholism to his peanut allergy, that taking just one could kill you. (I was screaming that maybe you shouldn't divulge deathly allergies to people you just met.)
Javier borrows Tomas' phone to call the tow company. In reality, he uses the phone to send himself an email from Tomas' work email.
Once Damian realizes that Javier lied about his last visit, he calls Javier to meet at the zoo. He blackmails Javier for a favor, or else he will tell Tomas his true identity. (This would've been fine with me because Javier is a shitty dude, but then it quickly escalated from there.) Damian tells Javier that must sneak into Monica's, Tomas' daughter, room and to take her dirty underwear. (I ALMOST THREW UP.)
Lara smells the alcohol on Tomas' shirt, from when he went to go help, Javier. At first, Tomas lies to her that it's not alcohol which further enrages Lara. Eventually, Tomas tells her the truth that Javier accidentally spilled alcohol on his shirt. She chastises him for covering up for Javier, but he explains that it was because Javier asked him not to tell her.
Lara calls Javier to meet in a cafe. She explains to him that he seems like a nice guy, but she would like him to stop hanging out with Tomas. Lara doesn't want him to be a bad influence on her husband. Javier feigns confusion. She explains to him that Tomas told her the truth, that Javier was drinking and crashed his car. Obviously, Javier twists it around and claims that Tomas emailed him for help. He shows her the email he sent to himself from Tomas' phone, as proof.
In the meantime, Javier's wife becomes suspicious of him. She sees him throw away a package. Then she follows him one evening. Unfortunately, Javier noticed her tail his taxi so he asks to be dropped off at his old campus. He shows up at his old professor's classroom. Javier stalls there until Marga leaves.
The following day, Javier meets with Damian once again. Javier gives him Monica's dirty underwear and begins to walk away. However, Damian tells him that Javier's not done. He wants Javier to sneak back into Monica's bedroom to install a webcam. (Quick reminder that Monica is like 8 years old AND I COULD NOT STOP SCREAMING.) Javier refuses to do so, but Damian insists he won't hurt Monica. Damian also reminds him that if Javier doesn't do it, he will tell Tomas everything.
Oddly enough, Javier goes to leave the webcam in Damian's garden shed. But before he leaves, he sabotages the leaf blower. Javier then visits Tomas at his office, who is furious at Javier for lying to Lara. While this whole scene is going on, we cut to Damian on fire after using the leaf blower. Back to Tomas and Javier, Tomas rightfully beats Javier to a pulp.
Unfortunately for Tomas, Javier immediately goes to Lara afterward. He explains to Lara that Tomas is dangerous, after all, he was the one who beat him. While she's treating his wounds, Javier gives her a can of pepper spray (the same one he was tampering with earlier in the film). Unbeknownst to Lara, Javier mixed peanut oil into the spray.
Things are really picking at this point. Javier leaves his family (remember his wife and son? guess they don't matter anymore). He invites Lara and Monica to see a gymnast that he worked with before. Javier thought it would be perfect since Monica will be competing in the same building. He forwards a photograph of himself, Lara, Monica, and the gymnast to Tomas.
Predictably so, Tomas is furious. He waits outside of the apartment complex for Tomas, Lara, and Monica. Javier hides across the street while Tomas follows Lara and Monica into the apartment. After Lara puts Monica to bed, Tomas barges into the flat and screams at Lara. She then pepper sprays him. Since it was filled with peanut oil, he goes into anaphylactic shock. Right on cue, Javier calls Lara and tells her that he noticed Tomas outside of the building. Lara tells him what happened and he "rushes" back.
When Javier arrives, he instructs Lara to wait with Monica in her room. He leans down to switch the can of pepper spray (filled with peanut oil) with a normal can. However, Tomas moves. Javier then tells him, "You don't deserve them" as he suffocates Tomas.
Six months later, Marga visits Javier at his office. She explains to him that she knows that he put peanut oil in the pepper spray that was used on Tomas. Marga warns him that she will go to the police with this information. Javier tells her that if she does, he will use the money that he set aside for their son on expensive lawyers. (Another tip, if you're gonna go ruin someone's life, don't give them a heads up!)
After all this, we see Javier with his new wife, Lara, and new daughter, Monica, in their new house. (TOMAS DESERVED BETTER TBH.)