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La Bola Negra

Play trailer 2:04 Poster for La Bola Negra R Now Playing 2h 37m Drama Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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87% Tomatometer 117 Reviews 96% Popcornmeter 100+ Verified Ratings
LA BOLA NEGRA tells the story of three men whose lives are intimately connected through desire, pain and inheritance, across three different eras -- 1932, 1937, and 2017.
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La Bola Negra

La Bola Negra

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Critics Consensus

An intergenerational epic bathed in striking imagery and vibrant music, La Bola Negra is a sensorial feast that movingly testifies to the perseverance of queer identity throughout history.

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Audience Says

An absolute dedication to queer love and resilience, La Bola Negra feels both larger than life and deeply intimate as it weaves through time, exploring identity and human connection.

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Critics Reviews

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Cary Darling Houston Chronicle 3 days ago
4.5/5
"La Bola Negra" tells three stories that begin separately but intertwine beautifully for an emotionally resonant conclusion. Go to Full Review
Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News 4 days ago
4/4
“La Bola Negra” is a monumental queer-themed masterpiece that shakes you to your very core. Go to Full Review
Barry Hertz Globe and Mail Oct 20, 2026
Not every film needs a sense of restraint, but there is a weightlessness to this wannabe epic’s maximalism that drains its ultimate impact. Go to Full Review
André Hereford Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) 5 hrs ago
4/5
Through it all, one message that emerges especially clearly is that it’s better to be remembered as a homosexual than a fascist. Go to Full Review
Dionar Hidalgo Algo Más Que Cine 1 day ago
8/10
The Javis deliver a visually stunning and emotionally rich film about queer identity, desire and memory. Guitarricadelafuente and Miguel Bernardeau shine in a story filled with powerful images and memorable moments. Go to Full Review
Jason Flatt But Why Tho? 1 day ago
7.5/10
While La Bola Negra falls short of abject greatness, it is deeply beautiful. Its poetic and painterly qualities are lovely. Its shortcomings are made up for by great performances, an excellent score, and stunning cinematography. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Dan 6 hrs ago This movie is insanely overhyped. There are too many subplots, it feels like a four episode series smashed into a single film. It’s also SOOO self important. There’s literally a line in the film saying how La Bola Negra must be saved for the benefit of future generations. Sure, it’s about a story within the story, but it’s so on the nose. There are some strong elements, but much of it is stolen from other movies (there’s a long homage to Beau Travail out of nowhere.) Worth seeing, sure, but unless you crave a queer version of The English Patient, it won’t change your life. See more Rick 20 hrs ago Fantastic movie! Its a real thinking persons movie as three story lines converge. Cant wait to see it again. See more John K 22 hrs ago A sweeping cinematic poem, tying multiple time and storylines together into a historical family mystery involving long-buried intimate secrets from the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath, it unfolds on an epic scale in a manner that feels a little bit like watching a puzzle being put together piece by piece. It makes you feel, and then it makes you think, and in the end it makes you realize that you’re part of the story, too - especially for LGBTQ people, whose real life history is something that can still only be pieced together from the hidden fragments and can often only be understood clearly by reading between the lines. One of the year’s best movies, hands down, and maybe one of the decade’s best as well. See more Denis 1 day ago Just a must see move See more FLOYD 1 day ago Life at its best and worst at the same time! Made me thankful for the decisions I've made over my 7+ decades of life. Brought me to tears more than once and laughter as well. See more Andre S 2 days ago Such a beautiful story. See more Read all reviews
La Bola Negra

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Movie Info

Synopsis LA BOLA NEGRA tells the story of three men whose lives are intimately connected through desire, pain and inheritance, across three different eras -- 1932, 1937, and 2017.
Director
Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
Producer
Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
Screenwriter
Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo, Alberto Conejero
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Movistar Plus+, Suma Content Films, El Deseo, Le Pacte
Rating
R (Violence/Bloody Images|Graphic Nudity|Sexual Content|Language)
Genre
Drama, Music
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 16, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 2, 2026
Runtime
2h 37m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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