Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (Buñuel en el laberinto de las tortugas) (2019)
88%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: 14 wins & 21 nominations
Thrillingly imaginative and appropriately surreal, Buñuel and the Labyrinth of the Turtles open an alluringly dreamlike window into the life of a brilliant artist
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles is a must-watch for animation fans who appreciate a unique color palette and angular character design. While the animation may not be groundbreaking, the story is compelling and engaging, especially for fans of Buñuel. It’s like a “making of” movie that’s both informative and entertaining. Plus, it’s a great way to learn about the surrealist as a young man without feeling like you’re watching a documentary. Overall, it’s a curio worth checking out, even if you’re not a completist.
Production Company(ies)
Decia Films, Amazonas Images Solares Fondazione delle arti
Distributor
GKIDS
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-14
Year of Release
2019
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 20m
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Language(s):Spanish, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 2019 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 12, 2019
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles, Drama, Spanish (Spain), directed by Salvador Simó, written by Salvador Simó and Eligio R Montero, starring Jorge Usón, Fernando Ramos, Luís Enríque De Tomás, Cyril Corral, Pepa Gracia, Rachel Lascar, produced by Femke Wolting, Bruno Felix, Jose Maria Fernandez De Vega, reviewed by Wendy Ide, Kevin Maher, Peter Bradshaw, Josh Slater-Williams, Ben Sachs, Ty Burr, more, GKIDS, $30.8K box office, animation, surreal, Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dalí, Paris, 1930, Ramón Acín, lottery ticket, funding, sculptor, artist, dream-like, Les Blank, Fitzcarraldo, Burden of Dreams, Land Without Bread, documentary, compassion
Worldwide gross: $185,675
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $214,539
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,918
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 23,396
US/Canada gross: $36,205
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $41,833
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,767
US/Canada opening weekend: $5,691
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $6,576
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,777
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): 1800000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $2,079,818
Production budget ranking: 2,024
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,119,982
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$2,985,261
ROI to date (est.): -93%
ROI ranking: 1,976
Fernando Ramos – Ramón Acín (Voice)
Luís Enríque De Tomás – Pierre Unik (Voice)
Cyril Corral – Eli Lotar (Voice)
Pepa Gracia – Luis Mother (Voice)
Rachel Lascar – Vicondesa de Noailles (Voice)
Director(s)
Salvador Simó
Writer(s)
Salvador Simó, Eligio R. Montero
Producer(s)
Femke Wolting, Bruno Felix, Jose Maria Fernandez De Vega
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
14 wins & 21 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (1)
With its dust and sherry-toned colour palette and starkly angular character design, it will intrigue animation fans.
July 19, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
As a”making of” movie, however, it’s instantly gratifying and easily comparable with Les Blank’s Fitzcarraldo film Burden of Dreams.
July 18, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
An engaging if somewhat demure animation, bordering occasionally on a kind of gentle sentimentality that is inimical to the subject…
July 16, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
This speedy portrait of the surrealist as a young man has its own discreet charms.
July 15, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Josh Slater-Williams
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
The animation is nothing remarkable, but the story is compelling, especially for Buñuel fans.
March 11, 2020
Ben Sachs
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It’s a curio for the completist, but not an unworthy one.
September 26, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The medium of animation lends itself well to weaving these dream-like visions because Land Without Bread was not in the strictest sense a documentary. [Full review in Spanish]
October 25, 2021
Fernanda Solórzano
Letras Libres
Devoid of the obscurity, Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles is a stark contrast to the film it is woven around. It is coherent, perceptible, and unusually entertaining in a largely mainstream way.
December 3, 2020
Ram Venkat Srikar
Film Inquiry
More than what is usually expected from great artists’ hagiographies. [Full review in Spanish]
November 13, 2020
Carlos Bonfil
La Jornada
Buñuel and the Labyrinth of the Turtles is an often complex affair that tries to fit much in within a scant 75-minute runtim
August 10, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Laurence Boyce
VODzilla.co
Although at first I am captivated by the beautiful animation of ‘Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles’, I soon perceive a timed indulgence and a narrative inertia that removes my interest in the story. [Full review in Spanish]
August 8, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
The idea that this was when the great provocateur discovered compassion is a touch simplistic, but Simó expresses it through elegant storytelling.
July 20, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Edward Porter
Sunday Times (UK)…
Plot
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles follows the story of Luis Buñuel and his friend Ramón Acín as they try to fund Buñuel’s next film after a falling out with Salvador Dalí.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features the voice talents of Jorge Usón as Luis Buñuel and Fernando Ramos as Ramón Acín.
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