Eine befremdliche Geschichte

Integration is good, racism is bad, and everybody needs love. And laughs, which is something this movie provides... in moderation :)

Four African people escape from human trafficking through the woods and snow. The police are after them for being illegal immigrants, so they hide in a small old town in the hills of Spain.

The movie shows the reality of many actual European rural communities that are disappearing because people (especially young people) move to the cities leaving small towns to die. But the people of Fuentejuela de Arriba are not going to let their community fall without a fight. They meet these four strangers and the out of ignorance prejudices of both groups create some trouble at first, but then they start to know each other appreciating their differences and similarities. They realize they can work together and help one another. "Integrate or die" becomes the town's new motto.

It's a lighthearted and funny simple movie, with a genuine approach reflecting small villages' interactions. If you've ever been in a place like that, you are going to have some extra laugh or two remembering some old cringeworthy character from there.

Funny actors, good performances and an accurate casting.

A nice tale, or a fable if you wish, reflecting sad realities and everyday miseries in a humorous light.

I don't have much to say. I just thought it was a painfully boring movie with bad comedy. It was also very... Racially charged? In a way that made me uncomfortable throughout the whole movie. I don't think they really accomplished that "inclusion" message they tried to give.

The actors were good and the characters were well-developed, plus a heartwarming development later in the story (imo).

But even if the movie frames the village people as behind the times and racist, it still doesn't make it any less uncomfortable to watch them make light of it. The black characters felt unrealistic and one-dimensional, too.

TL;DR: The comedy is weak, and had they consulted a sensitivity reader or someone from the area they wanted to represent, I feel like this would have been a VERY different movie.

Por si las moscas: I'm Hispanic and watched the movie in the original Spanish.

Written apparently according to Netflix's dictation, together with the depicted Spanish villagers, we learn our lesson of the day, that illegal immigrants and gays are saints and useful to western society for breeding reasons. While it is rightfully stated that baddies are baddies independently of colour (or gender I would like to add), it then ammends that they are worst if they are white. An otherwise harmless romantic comedie, became just a vessel of leftist political preach. The characters and protagonists were doing fine in a charming Spanish village background, however it could have been so much more. But no, our lesson is just that we have to absorb the illlegal immigrants by white marriages. So monodimensional it hurts even the immigrants who legal or not migrate with something more in their mind than just reproduction. They could have made something better, but no. Let's leave the complicated to a better writer. Terrible camera use at times with sunlight thrown to our faces hiding what we are meant to watch. If you can shallow all the above you might enjoy a bit. But it felt longer than it is. Which gave me a well deserved sleep. After all, a lesson stays in our mind if we learn it just before sleeep.

I thought this was funny to watch. I like watching Spanish movies and shows so naturally, it was a must watch for me. What I saw was pretty good. The characters are interesting and work well off each other. It was nice to see black Spaniards. Rarely are they shown in Spanish cinema. The story's well paced, it'd funny and has a simple yet good lesson about integration.

Speaking of race, some of the things the villagers do are a little cringeworthy. From being shocked that they speak Spanish to in one instance, placing a hand on one of the guys forehead due to his color. Otherwise, this was an interesting movie.