La Bola Negra

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La Bola Negra

R

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2h 37m

Drama

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

101 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

LA BOLA NEGRA tells the story of three men whose lives are intimately connected through desire, pain and inheritance, across three different eras -- 1932, 1937, and 2017.

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Critics Consensus

An intergenerational epic bathed in striking imagery and vibrant music, La Bola Negra is a sensorial feast that movingly testifies to the perseverance of queer identity throughout history.

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Audience Says

An absolute dedication to queer love and resilience, La Bola Negra feels both larger than life and deeply intimate as it weaves through time, exploring identity and human connection.

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

3 days ago

Not every film needs a sense of restraint, but there is a weightlessness to this wannabe epic’s maximalism that drains its ultimate impact.

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Lindsey Bahr

Associated Press

3 days ago

3/4

There is certainly a lot to savor in the film, not least of which is its historical consciousness and poetic portrait of homosexuality in both repressed and more permissive times.

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Wenlei Ma

The Nightly (AU)

4 days ago

4.5/5

This is truly an extraordinary film, one that will further enrich with repeated viewings. You’ll be rushing back to watch it again and again.

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Stephen Dalton

The Film Verdict

35 min ago

8/10

Spanish writer-director duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi revisit the life and legacy of queer literary icon Federico García Lorca in this ravishing if slightly ungainly epic, a prize-winning Oscar hopeful backed by Penélope Cruz and Pedro Almodóvar.

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Ruben Peralta Rigaud

Cocalecas

17 hrs ago

La Bola Negra is an ambitious, visually splendid, and emotionally generous work that finds in its narrative structure a convincing way to connect political history with intimate experience. [Full review in Spanish]

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Thom Ernst

Original Cin

18 hrs ago

A-

A captivating, sprawling epic, and nearly all of it demands your attention. It's a film that could benefit from a road map. Even then, you're likely to get lost. But getting lost is not necessarily a bad thing.

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Raul M

15 hrs ago

Brilliantly written, visually stunning!

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Fabi

2 days ago

Great story, great picture, I liked everything. Didn't like the character investigating the story but I just didn't like his personality, is part of the story so, I like the movie overall.

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nico

3 days ago

emotionally striking and politically engaged queer cinema 👍🏽 love los javis!

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Adam

4 days ago

One of the most intelligent, well crafted complex, and important film of the year. Loved it.

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Javier

4 days ago

The best movie I have seen in my life. ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!

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Javier Chivata

4 days ago

In my opinion, this is the best 2026 release I have seen so far. A magnificent screenplay shapes a powerful story, woven from three narrative threads and centered on love, acceptance, and masculinity furthermore, the tale focuses on life itself during times of threat, making the film highly relevant today.  The cinematography is beautiful, the soundtrack is extraordinary, and the cast delivers solid performances within a narrative built around a work of the iconic poet Federico Garca Lorca. It ranks among the best original films I have seen in recent years.

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Javier Ambrossi

Director

Javier Calvo

Director

Guitarricadelafuente

Sebastián

Miguel Bernardeau

Rafael

Penélope Cruz

Nené

Glenn Close

Isabelle

La Bola Negra: Trailer 1

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La Bola Negra: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

LA BOLA NEGRA tells the story of three men whose lives are intimately connected through desire, pain and inheritance, across three different eras -- 1932, 1937, and 2017.

Director: Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
Producer: Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
Screenwriter: Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo, Alberto Conejero
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Movistar Plus+, Suma Content Films, El Deseo, Le Pacte
Rating: R (Violence/Bloody Images|Graphic Nudity|Sexual Content|Language)
Genre: Drama, Music
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 2, 2026
Runtime: 2h 37m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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