The Last Circus

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The Last Circus

R

2011

1h 47m

Comedy

Drama

War

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A twisted love triangle develops among a Spanish clown (Carlos Areces), his cruel rival (Antonio de la Torre) and the rival's abused -- but lustful -- wife (Carolina Bang).

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Critics Consensus

The Last Circus is an uneven but winningly insane blend of hard violence, sex, black humor, and social satire.

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Greg Quill

Toronto Star

Oct 1, 2011

3/4

Basque director Álex de la Iglesia's exotic, surreal, hilarious, bloody and utterly explosive grand opus.

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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Sep 30, 2011

2/4

From the far-too-teeming brain of Spanish writer/director Alex de la Iglesia, The Last Circus is a bizarre, surreal, grotesque, fascinating, demanding, disappointing and ultimately exhausting political allegory that plays like a waking nightmare.

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Sep 16, 2011

3.5/5

It's not a pretty picture, but it is a hellaciously gorgeous and original film.

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Emma Wolfe

SpookyAstronauts

Oct 21, 2020

7/10

I don't even know what I just watched.

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Brent McKnight

The Last Thing I See

Jul 11, 2020

A-

Any movie that starts with a clown wielding a machete is on the right track. Circus performers conscripted against their will to fight a war they neither believe in, nor have any interest in participating in. How can you go wrong?

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Stephen Saito

Moveable Fest

Jan 9, 2019

Comedies don't come any blacker than this, but few filmmakers are able to do more with their palette than De La Iglesia.

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alan g

@agenser May 29, 2025

Gratuitous violence nothing more.

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Nad B

@RT31875590 May 27, 2025

Wonderful to watch

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g J

@g.username Mar 15, 2024

The opening credits and first act are AMAZING. This introduction reminded me of Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds but set in Francoist Spain. I wanted that! Then there is a massive bait and switch, as the film abruptly shifts to a bunch of unlikeable and boring characters in the 1970's that are irrelevent to the montage of 40's and 50's culture we had in the opening credits. From here on in it's like a really bad Rob Zombie movie without the charm.

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nefasto r

@Nefasto Sep 24, 2018

Psychotic and dreamy.

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Dec 25, 2016

While this film is not for a average film goer, you cannot deny the talent from acting,direction,cinematography,and make up design. This film is absolutly insane and unique. It's a love story with hints of war,horror and dread. If you are a film lover this is a must. This is a forgotten masterpiece and needs more attention

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Apr 22, 2016

It is uneven, however, the crazy nature of the film and the interesting visuals, make this a fascinating watch. The more you think about the film afterwards, the more effective it becomes. Jack.

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Alex de la Iglesia

Director

Carlos Areces

Javier

Antonio de la Torre

Sergio

Carolina Bang

Natalia

Enrique Villén

Andrés

Raúl Arévalo

Carlos

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Synopsis

A twisted love triangle develops among a Spanish clown (Carlos Areces), his cruel rival (Antonio de la Torre) and the rival's abused -- but lustful -- wife (Carolina Bang).

Director: Alex de la Iglesia
Producer: Vérane Frédiani, Gerardo Herrero, Franck Ribière
Screenwriter: Alex de la Iglesia
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Tornasol Films S.A.
Rating: R (Brutal Violence Throughout|Bloody Violence Throughout|Language|Nudity|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
Original Language: European Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 19, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.0K
Runtime: 1h 47m

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