Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Matador

Play trailer Poster for Matador NC-17 1986 1h 42m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Forced to retire after a goring, matador Diego Montez (Nacho Martínez) has since become a teacher. Among his students is Angel (Antonio Banderas), a naive boy so perversely desperate to impress that he attempts to rape Diego's girlfriend, Eva (Eva Cobo). He fails, but turns himself in regardless, also confessing to a series of murders he's recently seen in psychic visions. A lawyer (Assumpta Serna) steps in to defend him, but the police are unconvinced Angel is the real culprit.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Matador

Matador

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Intertwining murder and seduction, Pedro Almodóvar's Matador is a provocative thriller that will shock even the most adventurous moviegoers.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Variety Staff Variety 01/30/2020
Almódovar unfolds this convoluted plot with zig-zagging surrealism and a careening, sordidly erotic energy that effectively undermines the culturally institutionalized repression targeted by the filmmaker. Go to Full Review Peter Travers People Magazine 01/30/2020
The film is fiercely funny, executed in a reckless, raucous rage by the most wantonly gifted new filmmaker on the international scene. Almódovar relishes mocking his country's sacred cows. Go to Full Review Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel 01/30/2020
If Blue Velvet raised eyebrows, Matador will have some moviegoers blinking in disbelief. Go to Full Review Dave Giannini InSession Film 02/27/2024
Matador is just one more example of a filmmaker throwing caution to the wind and telling the exact story they wish to. Go to Full Review Candice Russell South Florida Sun-Sentinel 01/30/2020
Almodóvar celebrates the controversial potential of the medium more so than most other directors at work today. His movies get people talking and thinking. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Stephen C @bob25009 Mar 16 Ages 18 and older only. See more Dani G @RT81139271 Aug 25 I think this is the first non-comedy of Pedro's filmography. It still feels very raw, but it still shows a lot of prowess from its previous films, approaching more the style it will develop in his subsequent films... See more M R @RT95901422 10/02/2023 A pretty dark comedy/mystery film. Very well acted and a weird story to be honest. But good overall. The performances are excellent. But it's like the whole film just led to that one punchline in the end. It felt quite inconclusive to me, but it works. Grade: 80/100 B- See more 05/08/2021 Movie sucks, just fast forward to the interesting parts See more слободан е @RT88791636 12/01/2020 No me ha gustado mucho! See more 11/05/2015 Seductive on the eye, and dreamlike in the fantasy of Sex and Violence. Very convicted and lucid. See more Read all reviews
Matador

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Pedro Almodóvar

Director

Assumpta Serna

María Cardenal

Antonio Banderas

Ángel

Nacho Martínez

Diego Montez

Eva Cobo

Eva

Julieta Serrano

Berta Giménez

More Like This

View All
Mistress 88% 72% Mistress Watchlist Orgazmo 50% 66% Orgazmo Watchlist Female Trouble 90% 85% Female Trouble Watchlist Law of Desire 100% 82% Law of Desire Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Matador

View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Forced to retire after a goring, matador Diego Montez (Nacho Martínez) has since become a teacher. Among his students is Angel (Antonio Banderas), a naive boy so perversely desperate to impress that he attempts to rape Diego's girlfriend, Eva (Eva Cobo). He fails, but turns himself in regardless, also confessing to a series of murders he's recently seen in psychic visions. A lawyer (Assumpta Serna) steps in to defend him, but the police are unconvinced Angel is the real culprit.
Director
Pedro Almodóvar
Screenwriter
Pedro Almodóvar
Production Co
Stratus Films
Rating
NC-17
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 7, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 42m
Sound Mix
Stereo