A film that has made waves among a niche audience of indie horror fans, the Spanish sensation “The Coffee Table” will seduce and shatter you.
Show host Carolyn Smith-Hillmer takes a deep dive into a shocking Spanish horror film that will take your breath away — in more ways than one. It may be labeled as a black comedy, but don’t let that fool you; it’s one of the most potent, devastating, anxiety-inducing films you’ll ever see. It’s an extraordinary achievement and the kind of rare film whose memory isn’t likely to fade from your mind for a very long time. Be forewarned, however, you may need time to recover from watching it! – Stephanie (Editor-in-Chief)
SHOW NOTES FROM HOST CAROLYN SMITH-HILLMER:
Editor’s Notes:Perhaps one of the cruelest films you can watch, The Coffee Table will leave you sweaty, breathless, and anxious.
Since you’re here, there’s a really good chance you’re a rabid horror fan, which means there’s also a good chance you’ve already heard some buzz about The Coffee Table. It’s one of those films that’s nearly impossible to watch without immediately feeling a desperate urge to discuss. Many viewers have reached out for support and community after being simultaneously traumatized and mesmerized by this film.
After watching it recently, I immediately took to social to tell as many people as I knew about it and encourage them to seek it out urgently (with the caveat that it definitely does a number on you). I simply couldn’t bear the weight of this viewing experience alone.
Little can be said about the innocuously titled The Coffee Table (Spanish: La Mesita deal comedor, which literally translates to “The dining room’s small table”) without ruining the viewing experience. It’s impossible to understand what you’re in for without giving in to the urge to seek out spoilers and know exactly it is what you’re getting into. If you can avoid that, the film will be much better and more impactful.
The film was directed by Caye Casas and written by Casas and Cristina Borobia. You can rent it now on Prime Video, and it’s well worth the small rental fee.
Spoilers abound in this episode, so make sure you watch before listening unless you want to be spoiled.
SOURCES/INFORMATION
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21874760/
ABOUT THE SHOW:
The Final Girl on 6th Ave is a weekly show where host, Carolyn Smith-Hillmer, dissects an arthouse/elevated horror film. Each episode includes a detailed play-by-play of the film itself and a subsequent deep dive into the thematic elements and symbolism. Because elevated horror is sometimes viewed within the horror community as pretentious, Carolyn makes sure to use her down-to-earth tone and unique perspective to make these films less intimidating for the casual horror viewer and less ostentatious for the genre lover.
Listen to more episodes on the show’s website here.
The Final Girl on 6th Ave is a bi-weekly podcast where host Carolyn Smith-Hillmer reviews arthouse horror films in a non-pretentious way.
Lars von Tier and Horror
Lars von Trier has been called a visionary, a sadist, and a self‑mythologizing provocateur—sometimes all in the same breath. In this episode, we unpack how an anxious kid from Copenhagen became one of the most controversial figures in world cinema, and why his work looms so large over modern horror and “extreme” art‑film. Focusing on Antichrist, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac, and The House That Jack Built, we explore von Trier’s “Depression Trilogy,” his use of grief, sex, and violence, and the ongoing debates about misogyny, ethics, and audience complicity. Along the way, we bring in film scholarship, critical essays, and production histories to ask a simple but uncomfortable question: when von Trier pushes horror this far, is he revealing something profound about suffering—or just building a house out of pain?
SOURCES/INFORMATION
Biographical and career overviews
“Lars von Trier.” Wikipedia.wikipedia
“Lars von Trier – Simple English Wikipedia.” Simple Wikipedia.wikipedia
“Lars von Trier.” Encyclopaedia Britannica (biography, awards, filmography).britannica
“Lars von Trier filmography.” Wikipedia.wikipedia
“Lars von Trier – IMDb.” IMDb.imdb
“List of awards and nominations received by Lars von Trier.” Wikipedia.wikipedia
Context and Danish film culture
“Lars von Trier and Cultural Liberalism.” Danish Film Institute.dfi
Excerpt from Regional and Global Dimensions of Danish Film Culture and Film Policy (on Dogme 95 and Danish film branding).catalogimages.wiley
Critical profiles and interviews
“Lars von Trier: Behind the Curtain.” The New Yorker (profile on von Trier’s persona and controversies).mubi+1
“Lars von Trier: A Problematic Sort of Ladies’ Man?” NPR radio piece and transcript (Pat Dowell, with Caroline Bainbridge).npr+1
“The Many Faces of Lars von Trier.” BFI feature.bfi
“Lars von Trier: An Overview.” Film Festival Today (career overview).filmfestivaltoday
Horror‑specific and film‑specific sources
“The Immersive Examination of Depression and Grief in ‘Antichrist’ [Unveiling the Mind].” Bloody Disgusting.bloody-disgusting+1
“Antichrist (2009)” – film entry and production details. IMDb and Wikipedia.imdb+1
“The House That Jack Built (2018).” IMDb (plot, reception).imdb
“Manically Macabre: Lars von Trier as Horror Icon.” Horror Obsessive.horrorobsessive
“‘Terrifier 2’ and 9 Other Horror Movies Which Famously Made Audiences Sick.” Collider (section on Antichrist).collider
Scholarly / analytical work
“Lars von Trier – The ‘Sex’pression Ideology.” Academic essay (via Academia.edu PDF).academia
Caroline Bainbridge, The Cinema of Lars von Trier (discussed in NPR and academic contexts).npr+1
Career primers
“Notebook Primer: Lars von Trier.” MUBI Notebook.
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