#TIFF26: “LA BOLA NEGRA” REVIEW

By Mr. Will Wong

LA BOLA NEGRA was made for Awards Season. The Spanish queer drama from co-directed and co-adapted by duo Los Javis spans three eras, connecting the stories of three men in a thoughtful way, inspired by an unfinished poem by Federico García Lorca and Alberto Conejero‘s play La piedra oscura.

We have Carlos (Milo Quifes) who is “blackballed” or voted out from a casino after suspicions are raised about him being homosexual. His father urges him to plea for the powers that be to change their decision. We also meet Sebastián (Guitarricadelafuente) who is enlisted into the nationalist army, only to fall in love with a prisoner of war named Rafael (Miguel Bernardeau) he is to pry information from and be cruel to. The story then skips to modern day, where a historian named Alberto (Carlos González) is about to receive an inheritance from his estranged grandfather, bringing to the surface years of unresolved tension between his mother (Lola Dueñas) and him.

Los Javis are doing some groundbreaking things here, re-framing the queer identity here, going beyond just looking at the challenges of oppression. Ultimately, the Film finds pockets of empowerment, light and love, making La Bola Negra an experience that warms the heart, paying respect to those who paved the way for us today by way of remembering the stories of those who could not live their truths. Above this, the Film visually is spectacular under the cinematography of Gris Jordana.

Some truly fantastic performances from this Ensemble, including Guitarricadelafuente, who is tortured between obligation and his heart. The Film is boosted by two surprise appearances from Penélope Cruz and she truly is dazzling here as a showgirl who rouses the troops to fight, and Glenn Close as Hispanist scholar, who specializes in queer history.

While it does feel excessive in length at 160 minutes, the ambitious LA BOLA NEGRA proves a rewarding watch. It screens at TIFF ’26:

Wednesday, September 16
Royal Alexandra Theatre
4:30 pm

Friday, September 18
Royal Alexandra Theatre
4:15 pm

Saturday, September 19
VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
2:00 pm