Parents' Guide to 53 Sundays

In an era where films looking for an international audience are increasingly less nuanced and more heavily action-oriented, Spanish director Cesc Gay moves in a completely different direction. 53 Sundays shows this, and follows in the vein of his 2020 ensemble comedy Sentimental, which was remade in several countries including the US (Olivia Wilde's 2026 Sundance premiere The Invite). Gay's films exhibit his keen eye for the details and inconsistencies of human behavior, and they provide chamber showcases for his actors—Cámara and Gutiérrez, always funny, shine especially here.

Viewers—particularly those watching with subtitles—could tire of the dialogues, delivered with thick, thick sarcasm. The way the brothers jockey for the upper hand while the women pretend everything is fine (until it's not)—the sister is accused of approaching life like it's a Greek tragedy—may hit close to home for some. The film boasts some very funny moments revolving around their unspoken resentments—"Don't I look relaxed?" they keep asking through clenched teeth. A running joke about Julián playing a tomato in a gazpacho ad is amusing. So, it's a shame when Gay feels the need to teach his characters a lesson at the end. Letting them continue in their petty, sarcastic, self-serving corners would have felt more coherent with the rest of the film.