The Last Circus

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The Last Circus

R

2011

1h 47m

Comedy

Drama

War

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A twisted love triangle develops among a Spanish clown (Carlos Areces), his cruel rival (Antonio de la Torre) and the rival's abused -- but lustful -- wife (Carolina Bang).

Critics Consensus

The Last Circus is an uneven but winningly insane blend of hard violence, sex, black humor, and social satire.

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Greg Quill

Toronto Star

10/01/2011

3/4

Basque director Álex de la Iglesia's exotic, surreal, hilarious, bloody and utterly explosive grand opus.

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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

09/30/2011

2/4

From the far-too-teeming brain of Spanish writer/director Alex de la Iglesia, The Last Circus is a bizarre, surreal, grotesque, fascinating, demanding, disappointing and ultimately exhausting political allegory that plays like a waking nightmare.

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

09/16/2011

3.5/5

It's not a pretty picture, but it is a hellaciously gorgeous and original film.

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Emma Wolfe

SpookyAstronauts

10/21/2020

7/10

I don't even know what I just watched.

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Brent McKnight

The Last Thing I See

07/11/2020

A-

Any movie that starts with a clown wielding a machete is on the right track. Circus performers conscripted against their will to fight a war they neither believe in, nor have any interest in participating in. How can you go wrong?

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Stephen Saito

Moveable Fest

01/09/2019

Comedies don't come any blacker than this, but few filmmakers are able to do more with their palette than De La Iglesia.

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alan g

@agenser 05/29/2025

Gratuitous violence nothing more.

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Nad B

@RT31875590 05/27/2025

Wonderful to watch

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nefasto r

@Nefasto 09/24/2018

Psychotic and dreamy.

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12/25/2016

While this film is not for a average film goer, you cannot deny the talent from acting,direction,cinematography,and make up design. This film is absolutly insane and unique. It's a love story with hints of war,horror and dread. If you are a film lover this is a must. This is a forgotten masterpiece and needs more attention

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04/22/2016

It is uneven, however, the crazy nature of the film and the interesting visuals, make this a fascinating watch. The more you think about the film afterwards, the more effective it becomes. Jack.

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03/28/2016

Visionary, disturbing, poetic... maybe not the best work of De la Iglesias but an ispirated one.

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Alex de la Iglesia

Director

Carlos Areces

Javier

Antonio de la Torre

Sergio

Carolina Bang

Natalia

Enrique Villén

Andrés

Raúl Arévalo

Carlos

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Synopsis

A twisted love triangle develops among a Spanish clown (Carlos Areces), his cruel rival (Antonio de la Torre) and the rival's abused -- but lustful -- wife (Carolina Bang).

Director: Alex de la Iglesia
Producer: Vérane Frédiani, Gerardo Herrero, Franck Ribière
Screenwriter: Alex de la Iglesia
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Tornasol Films S.A.
Rating: R (Brutal Violence Throughout|Bloody Violence Throughout|Language|Nudity|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
Original Language: European Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 19, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.0K
Runtime: 1h 47m