Filming has recently wrapped on Matar a Ramón, the new feature film by Álvaro Fernández Armero (a director with a proven track record in comedy, from Todo es mentira (1994) to the more recent Ocho apellidos marroquís and the series Spanish Shame and Sentimos las molestias). True to his style, this project blends light-hearted thriller, Spanish costumbrismo and physical comedy. The story unfolds in a world where laughter springs from disaster, clumsiness and extreme situations, yet always from a deeply human and relatable perspective.

The script, written by Daniel Castro (the series Yakarta and  Celeste, among others) and Diego Soto (the series Venga Juan) follows Ramón (played by José Mota, seen in films such as As Luck Would Have It and Abracadabra) who runs a renovation company with his wife  Eulalia (Yaël Belicha, recently in films such as Las invisibles and Al otro barrio), until an accident triggers a series of assassination attempts, each more absurd than the last.

The cast also includes Óscar de la Fuente (Goya nominee for The Good Boss and La casa), Carla Díaz (8, Delicious), Israel Elejalde (recently in Better Class), Óscar Lasarte (The Dinner), Carmen Gutiérrez, Antón Lofer, Álvaro Fontalba, Agustín Oton and Chani Martin. The film was shot on location in the Community of Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha.

In the director’s own words, “Matar a Ramón tells the story of the disastrous attempts to kill a poor man and the incompetence of the officers investigating him. It is a black comedy – pathetic and tender – but above all, a thrilling narrative challenge. It’s time to take everything I’ve learnt over the years in this profession and throw it all out the window, and for all of us to take the plunge so we can learn how to do it wrong in order to do it right.”

Jaime Ortiz de Artiñano, director-general of Atresmedia Cine, Atresmedia Cine, one of the production companies, explains: “Co-producer Javier Ugarte, screenwriter and filmmaker Daniel Castro and I wanted to create a comedy about hapless characters in the tradition of actor Peter Sellers, French comedies such as The Dinner Game, and Woody Allen films such as Take the Money and Run and Zelig. We realised that many real-life crimes contain surreal situations and characters that could lead to very funny moments. From there, we set out to create a satire on crimes against public decency, resulting in this side-splitting story that is, ultimately, a portrait of ourselves.”

Matar a Ramón is produced by Jaime Ortiz de Artiñano for Atresmedia Cine, Javier Ugarte for La Terraza Films, Pablo F Masó for True Crime Factory, Edmon Roch for Ikiru Films and Un pueblo tranquilo AIE. It features the participation of Atresmedia and Netflix, and has received funding from the ICAA. Distribution in Spain will be handled by Beta Fiction Spain, while Film Factory Entertainment will oversee international sales.