Pablo Larraín brings back Chile’s darkest moment in history with an added flair of vampire darkness in the horror comedy El Conde for Netflix.
The 2023 movie is a first for Netflix as a Chilean movie with a Chilean director, cast, and riveting storyline tied to the country’s past with dictator General Augusto Pinochet. The very moment in Chilean history that pushed Hollywood actor Pedro Pascal’s parents to flee the country and seek political asylum in the United States.
While the real-life Pinochet is dead, El Conde reimagines what could have been if he were alive, but as the undead. The movie originally premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2023.
El Conde promises a blast from the past for any Chilean in a black-and-white setting, as well as an eye-opening experience for anyone who is unaware of the South American country’s past. Here is everything we know about El Conde, from the plot to its star-studded Chilean cast.
El Conde: What is the Chilean movie about?
What if the most ruthless dictator in Chilean history never died? El Conde explores a very much alive Augusto Pinochet, but as a blood-thirsty vampire who is facing a life crisis after centuries of immortality.
According to the Netflix press release, “El Conde is a dark comedy/horror that imagines a parallel universe inspired by the recent history of Chile. The film portrays Augusto Pinochet, a symbol of world fascism, as a vampire who lives hidden in a ruined mansion in the cold southern tip of the continent. Feeding his appetite for evil to sustain his existence.
“After two hundred and fifty years of life, Pinochet has decided to stop drinking blood and abandon the privilege of eternal life. He can no longer bear that the world remembers him as a thief. Despite the disappointing and opportunistic nature of his family, he finds new inspiration to continue living a life of vital and counterrevolutionary passion through an unexpected relationship.”
The movie is set in black-and-white with Pinochet living in a remote mansion in the coldest region of Chile. Around him are his children who begin to see a change in their father, likely for the worst. Along the way, Pinochet claims he has made some accounting mistakes and a female accountant comes to his aid. Through her, audiences will see the unfolding of Pinochet’s inner mind and how he saw his dictatorship. The supposed accountant may be something more.
El Conde: Who is in the Netflix movie cast?
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Leading El Conde are some of Chile’s most renowned actors who have graced the small and big screen for years. Many of the actors will star as Pinochet’s children and family members. Here is the full cast list:
- Jaime Vadell as Augusto Pinochet (The Count)
- Gloria Münchmeyer as Lucía
- Alfredo Castro as Fyodor
- Paula Luchsinger as Carmencita
- Catalina Guerra
- Marcial Tagle
- Amparo Noguera
- Diego Muñoz
- Antonia Zegers
El Conde: When is the release date?
El Conde is set to release to global audiences on Netflix on September 15, 2023.
The movie has a set runtime of one hour, 50 minutes, and 23 seconds. Helming the movie is Pablo Larraín. He is an award-winning Chilen director with his previous works No (2012), Neruda (2016), Jackie (2016), and Spencer (2021). He is also the writer for El Conde alongside Guillermo Calderón, and a producer with his brother Juan de Dios Larraín, and Rocío Jadue.
El Conde: Is there an official trailer?
Netflix released the official trailer for El Conde on August 10, 2023. The trailer below might pique some interest in seeing how a dictator deals with his moral conscious centuries later.
That’s everything we know about El Conde. In the meantime, check out some of our other Netflix coverage below:
The Night Agent Season 2 | The Gentlemen | Will there be Firefly Lane Season 3? | Sex Education Season 4 | Monster Season 2 | Will there be Ginny and Georgia Season 3? | Black Mirror Season 7 | All the Light We Cannot See | Stranger Things Season 5 | Chicken Run 2 | Florida Man Season 2 | Obsession Season 2 | The Sandman Season 2 | The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3 | Heartstopper Season 3
