Fans are calling the 2020 Spanish-language Netflix thriller The Occupant (also known as Hogar) an “underrated” and “brilliant” gem, with many comparing it to the Oscar-winning film Parasite.
Written and directed by brothers David Pastor and Àlex Pastor, the film was released on Netflix on March 25, 2020, as the world entered lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was initially scheduled for a March 2020 world premiere at the Málaga Spanish Film Festival, but the event was postponed, leading to a direct international release on the streaming platform.
Plot and Cast
The story follows Javier Muñoz, a former executive forced to sell his apartment after losing his job. Once the sale is complete, Javier becomes obsessed with the new occupants of his old home and gradually infiltrates their lives in unsettling ways.
The cast includes Javier Gutiérrez, Mario Casas, Bruna Cusí, Ruth Díaz, David Ramírez, David Selvas, David Verdaguer, and Vicky Luengo.
Critical and Audience Response
Critics have praised the film’s careful transition from domestic drama to dark thriller. One review noted: “There's an interesting genre creep at hand in 'The Occupant.' At its outset, it is a domestic drama; by the conclusion, it's a tense, dark thriller. The transition is very careful — and fascinating to watch.”
Another critic said the directors “deliver a very entertaining and twisted thriller,” while a third highlighted Javier Gutiérrez’s “dedicated performance as the psychopathic, dejected advertiser who would go to any heights to get what he wants.”
Audiences have echoed the praise, with one fan writing: “A brilliant, underrated thriller. This film had an intriguing concept with a lot of possibilities, and it paid off! It was a tense, and gripping slow paced thriller. I really enjoyed this and it's super underrated! It reminded me a lot of Parasite (2019)!”
Another viewer described it as “a little gem of a Spanish film with a terrific main character and good plot,” while one review read: “Big WOW! Perfection from the beginning to the very end! I don't speak spanish so I watched the entire film in subtitles but WOW!”
The Occupant is available to stream on Netflix.
