La Bola Negra follows three gay men in Spain, each living in a different period. In 1932, Carlos wants to join a private social club whose members suspect he is gay. In 1937, Sebastián is a soldier ordered to guard a wounded prisoner named Rafael. In 2017, Alberto receives an inheritance from his grandfather and starts looking into his family's past. The film moves between these three stories rather than telling them one at a time.

You do not need to know the work of Federico García Lorca, the Spanish poet and playwright whose writing helped inspire the film. Directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi make each man's problem clear. Carlos wants acceptance, Sebastián falls for someone he is supposed to treat as an enemy, and Alberto wants answers his mother would rather not discuss. Sebastián and Rafael's relationship is the strongest reason to watch, even when the switches to Alberto interrupt it.

La Bola Negra cast: who plays whom?

Carlos wants to belong. Sebastián is told whom to hate.

The club members decide whether to admit Carlos by casting white or black balls. A black ball means rejection; that is where the film's title comes from. These men are judging Carlos for being gay, not for anything he has done to them. Milo Quifes stands before them while they make a ceremony out of excluding him. The long room and the men gathered around him make the humiliation uncomfortable to watch.

Carlos stands alone before seated officials in an ornate room.
Carlos wants to join a private club whose members reject him because they believe he is gay.

Carlos's story is shorter than the other two, but the vote gives you a clear reason to care about him. He has to decide whether to deny the rumors or stop pretending to be someone the club will accept. His wish to fit in does not disappear just because the members treat him badly. That makes him more believable than a character who immediately knows how to answer their cruelty.

Sebastián faces a more dangerous situation. During the Spanish Civil War, two sides are fighting for control of the country. He ends up in the army supporting Francisco Franco, while Rafael is a prisoner from the opposing Republican side. Sebastián has a weapon and orders; Rafael is injured and cannot leave. Their attraction does not make that difference in power disappear.

Sebastián supports the wounded Rafael on a hospital bed beside a window.
Sebastián is assigned to guard Rafael, a wounded prisoner from the opposing side.

Guitarricadelafuente, making his acting debut as Sebastián, is especially good at showing how unsure the soldier is around Rafael, played by Miguel Bernardeau. Rafael needs his guard's help, so it is not immediately clear how much of his attention is affection. When Sebastián helps the wounded man sit up, they have a reason to touch. You can see why they grow attached without needing a speech about their feelings. The possibility of someone noticing them makes even a quiet conversation tense.

Alberto's relationship gets too little time

The modern story follows Alberto, played by Carlos González, as he investigates what his grandfather left him. His mother, Teresa, does not welcome that interest. Lola Dueñas is good at showing Teresa's anger when her son brings up the man who hurt her. Alberto wants to learn about his grandfather, but his questions upset his mother. That disagreement gives him a harder decision than simply where to search next.

Lola Dueñas as Teresa sits smoking while Alberto lies behind her.
Teresa and her son Alberto disagree about his interest in his grandfather.

Alberto also has a partner, Juan Pablo, played by Julio Torres. But their relationship gets less attention than the family investigation. We learn more about what Alberto is researching than about what he and Juan Pablo want from each other. That makes the present-day scenes less involving than the wartime romance. Whenever the film returns to Sebastián and Rafael, there is a much clearer reason to worry about what will happen next.

The connections between the three periods eventually become clearer. Finding those connections is satisfying, but it does not make every stretch equally interesting. The frequent changes of period sometimes stop a relationship just as it gets interesting. If you prefer to stay with one set of characters for longer, the interruptions will be frustrating.

Penélope Cruz gives the soldiers a show

Penélope Cruz plays Nené Romero, a performer who sings and dances for the troops. She has limited screen time, so do not expect her to lead the film. Cruz is fun to watch because Nené knows how to hold the soldiers' attention, while her conversation with Sebastián gives the young man a rare chance to be treated with kindness.

Penélope Cruz as Nené Romero performs in uniform among a crowd of soldiers.
Nené Romero, played by Penélope Cruz, performs for the troops.

The musical performances offer a welcome change from the military hospital and the family arguments. The much larger bombing sequence is frightening for another reason: Sebastián is a musician caught in destruction he cannot control, not an action hero who can fight his way out.

The Pixel Twelve verdict

Pixel Twelve score: 8/10. Sebastián and Rafael's believable attachment, Carlos's painful rejection and Cruz's performance make La Bola Negra worth the long running time. We stop short of a higher score because Alberto's romance is underwritten and the repeated switches away from the wartime story can be frustrating. Choose it for the relationships and performances, with time for a long, sometimes distressing drama. Do not expect all three stories to be equally strong.

More images from La Bola Negra

3 screenshots

Images: Netflix; Movistar Plus+ / Suma Content Films.

See the film page for the cast and theater and Netflix dates, or read more Pixel Twelve reviews.

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