Matador

1986

Matador

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

95%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 19

78%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 10,084
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Movie Info

A bullfighter forced to retire early from his career due to a goring, finds that his obsession for killing still lingers, but now bulls are substituted by girls. To make love to a woman and kill her at the very last moment is the closest thing to the ineffable pleasure of an afternoon in the bullring. Maria is a woman driven by similar dark desires. When she and the ex-bullfighter get together a meeting of minds takes place with deadly results.

Cast

Assumpta Serna
as María
Antonio Banderas
as Ángel
Nacho Martinez
as Diego
Nacho Martinez
as Diego Montes
Eva Cobo
as Eva
Julieta Serrano
as Berta
Veronica Forque
Chus Lampreave
as Pilar
Carmen Maura
as Julia
Eusebio Poncela
as Comisario
Bibiana Fernandez
as Flower Vendor
Luis Ciges
as Guarda
Eva Siva
as Assistant to Maria and Diego
Veronica Forque
as Journalist
Pepa Merino
as Mary's secretary
Lola Peno
as First Student
Marisa Tejada
as Second Student
Mercedes Jiménez
as Third Student
Francesca Romana
as Fourth Student
Jesús Ruyman
as Raul Ordonez, type 1
Milton Díaz
as Raul Ordonez, type 2
Angie Gray
as Chica Ana
Alicia Mora
as Loyal one
Laly Salas
as Loyal one
Jaime Chávarri
as Priest
Marcelo García Flores
as First Policeman
Agustín Almodóvar
as Second Policeman
Kika
as T.V. Announcer
Concha Hidalgo
as Tata Angel
Juan Aro Sanchez
as Enfermo
Antonio Passy
as ENT
Kike Turmix
as First fighter
Julián Sánchez
as Second fighter
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Critic Reviews for Matador

All Critics (19) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (1)

View All Critic Reviews (19)

Audience Reviews for Matador

  • Feb 11, 2014
    The film starts with a strong narrative and story but soon falls into silly supernatural, cop-out storytelling that discredits the entire film with its abrupt and unwarranted shift in story to dig its way out of a plot hole Almodóvar couldn't fix.
    Jason 123 D Super Reviewer
  • May 20, 2013
    Very dark for Almodovar. It's almost a giallo.
    Marcus W Super Reviewer
  • Nov 20, 2012
    Looking past all the absurdities the film has to offer, Matador is essentially a dark romantic comedy at its core. With passion and obsession meeting fueling the characters' actions, Almodvar steps up and shows audiences he isn't afraid to tell original stories.
    paul o Super Reviewer
  • Feb 20, 2009
    Whoa! Hahaha! Well well... Who could actually see this coming? Not even the lunatic events in Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios could prepare us for this lunacy ride of necrophilia, sexual tango and sadomasochistic perversions. The NC-17 rating is surely a sign of America's nauseating conservatism, but admit it or not, this film is geniusly bold and cinematically atypical. The first five minutes prepare us for the psychological mess that lies ahead, but I literally fell in love with the climax, no matter the preposterous events that led to it, under the excuse that "there are certain things that escape reason". So what?! The film has several film inspirations behind and is not afraid to show them! The traditional Spanish art of bullfighting meets a provocative sexual obsession. 94/100
    Edgar C Super Reviewer
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