Owing a huge debt to PSYCHO (1960), this is a Spanish production that is part dark comedy and part suspense thriller. José Luís López Vázquez stars as Martin, a widower who has replaced his dead bride with a lifelike mannequin. Life is fine until Lina (Carmen Sevilla), the prostitute living next store, decides to insert herself into Martin's life. Threatening to unveil his secret, Lina moves in with her daughter in an attempt to provide a stable life. At first things are mutually beneficial as Martin can finally take his "wife" to business dinner and Lina has a roof over her head and is getting her daughter sent to school. Things change when Lina re-invites her slimy pimp back into her life and demands Martin get rid of his dolls (his dead wife's "sister" had just arrive in the mail).
Director Pedro Olea manages to balance the comedy and thrills pretty well. The film portrays the somewhat unbalanced Martin in a sympathetic light even though he does some pretty nasty things. Vázquez is excellent as the loner hero and Sevilla is deliciously sleazy as the opportunistic prostitute.
Director Pedro Olea manages to balance the comedy and thrills pretty well. The film portrays the somewhat unbalanced Martin in a sympathetic light even though he does some pretty nasty things. Vázquez is excellent as the loner hero and Sevilla is deliciously sleazy as the opportunistic prostitute.