Manticore () is 2022 psychological drama thriller film directed and written by Carlos Vermut which stars Nacho Sánchez and Zoe Stein.
Blending mumblecore and tragedy characteristics as well as dealing with the protagonist's hamartia, the plot follows the romantic relationship of a video game designer (Sánchez) with an art history student (Stein), whom with the former thinks to have at last a chance for happiness and for placating his recently awakened dark impulses.
Manticore world premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. It scooped 4 nominations to the 37th Goya Awards (Director, Original Screenplay, Leading Actor, and New Actress).
Plot
Living alone in an apartment in the centre of Madrid, Julián is a successful video game designer who creates monsters for a living with assistance from VR tools. A fire in the apartment next-door upends him. A kid (Cristian) is trapped inside and is thereby saved by Julián. After receiving light medical attention, Julián befriends Cristian. They talk about what Cristian wants to be when he grows up. Despite his musical hobby, Cristian wants to become a gardener. Julián tells him that he wanted to be a tiger when he was little. Back in his apartment, Julián cannot fall asleep, and has a panic attack. The physician prescribes him anxiolytics and recommends him to talk to others. Julián has a bad sex experience with a girl he meets in a bar. He develops further interest in Cristian's physical features and, upon human NPC templates obtained from the company he works for and a hand-drawn sketch of the boy, Julián begins to reproduce Cristian on VR, getting aroused by the result of his work. At a party held for one of his work colleagues (Sandra), Julián meets Diana, a boyish girl studying a degree on art history by distance learning, and whom with he starts a slow-burn relationship after meeting again near the Filmoteca. Julián removes any trace of his work on Cristian and commits to Diana. Diana came to Madrid from Barcelona to take care of her father in the wake of the latter suffering a stroke. Upon sexually opening to Julián in the new apartment Julián has rented in the outskirts of Madrid, Diana gets the news concerning the sudden death of her father. Julián visits the funeral home to console Diana. Unwilling to engage to her mother, Diana travels to her father's seaside hometown in Catalonia together with Julián. Julián has another panic attack there and is soothed by Diana.
Julián is summoned to a company meeting. He is disclosed that, pursuant to his contract with the company, the management had a register of all works developed with the company's tools, thus having the power to know about the full extent of Julián's virtual portfolio. Julián tries to communicate to Diana by phone. Diana ghosts him. Set on talking to her, Julián takes Japanese food to Diana's home. Julián tells her that he has never harmed anybody. He is rejected by Diana, who dismisses him as a disgusting being upon knowing about the boy and tells him to leave. Julián leaves and cries. An altered and anxious Julián arrives at his former apartment building and communicates with Cristian via the gate intercom. Aware of the fact that Cristian's mother is out and the boy is home alone, he manages to get into Cristian's apartment. He prepares him a colacao, pouring drugs in one of the mugs. They drink and Julián requests him to play a musical piece. Cristian falls asleep and Julián takes him to his bedroom. Torn about his next step, Julián sees a Cristian's drawing on the wall displaying a tiger with a human head, named 'Julián'. Julián gets out of the bedroom, opens the living room's window and attempts suicide by defenestration. Julián wakes up in a hospital room. The physician tells him that he has suffered severe spinal cord damage and endured several surgical procedures. Julián is also told that Diana has been with him during the time he was unconscious. The film ends with Diana entering her apartment and taking care of a paralysed Julián, addressing him in Catalan.