Tony Manero

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Tony Manero

2008

1h 38m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

On weekends, 50-something Raul Peralta (Alfredo Castro) goes to the same bar outside his native Santiago, Chile, and, with friends, dances to the hits from his favorite film, "Saturday Night Fever." When he gets wind of a TV contest seeking the best imitation of Tony Manero, the main character from the film, he becomes fixated on winning. But as Raul becomes involved in nefarious activities -- including murder -- to complete his Tony Manero transition, he puts his friends and himself at risk.

Critics Consensus

Deliberately provocative, Tony Manero is as challenging and compelling as it is difficult to describe.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

This film is not a joy, and there is no joy in it, but it is powerfully grotesque and it will linger, whether you want it to or not. Give it a go, if you feel brave enough.

Aug 29, 2018

Full Review

Jonathan Romney

Sight & Sound

As played by Alfredo Castro, Ral Peralta is one of the most disturbing and intractably unsympathetic figures in recent cinema.

Jul 6, 2018

Full Review

Ben Kenigsberg

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

While some critics have described the film as "ugly," both literally and figuratively, there's a cruel beauty to [Pablo] Larraín's assured direction, the Super 16 cinematography (blown up to 35mm), and occasional, disorienting out-of-focus shot...

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 17, 2023

Full Review

Rosa Parra

Latinx Lens

It's not an easy watch but it's an intriguing look at an unlikeable protagonist.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 2, 2022

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Pablo Larraín's second film, 'Tony Manero', has a start as energetic as a dancer's legs, but on the way it slides until it is sown on the ground. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Aug 3, 2020

Full Review

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Dani G

What a disgusting lead character!!! Wow! That was the best from this film; the form in which you start to hate that man inmediately

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/13/24

Full Review

Rosana B

É um filme extremamente ambíguo, ao mesmo tempo que nos apiadamos o protagonista dos dez primeiros minutos sentimos O incrível que pulsa e repugnância por seus dados violentos e obsessivos, beirando o doentio... Um filme muito interessante com uma abordagem diferenciada, obsessão por um ídolo, o sonho de seguir uma profissão e agressão ganhando contornos realísticos...

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

RICHARD H

Baffled by crtics positive reviews. A movie that goes nowhere with a main character who is about as interesting as watching paint dry. I usually like off-beat movies but this is a complete bore. I kept waiting for an 'aha' moment that never happens. Perhaps, if you have an interest in the attrocites of the Pinochet years in Chili, this will have some resonance... if you see this movie as an allegory. The main character is a sometimes violent, pathetic loser that other characters, for some unfathonable reason, put up with...even admire. In comparison to all of the movies I've seen over the years, this goes to the bottom of the dog pile.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ruthless and unpleasant, there's yet a lot to admire in " Tony Manero", a unique and dark charachter study of a selfish person who takes the worst of himself out while the country is in crisis. Is umpredictable and powered by the special fuel provided by the cast, specially terrific Alfredo Castro and admirable Amparo Noguera. First part in Pablo Larraín's triology about dictatorship.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Es una película chilena muy interesante; tiene una trama extraña y las actuaciones son buenas; es una experiencia muy bizarra.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Raul, 1978'de, Cumartesi Gecesi Ateşi filmindeki Tony Manero karakterine takıntılı, obsesif, şiddet dolu 52 yaşındaki bir adam. Pinochet diktatörlüğü Şili'nin ahlaki değerlerini, kültürel kimliğini yok ederken, ülke de Amerikan kültürüne, yağmasına açılır. Raul, bu yeni Şili'deki Amerikayı temsil ediyor. Acımasız, dengesiz, şiddet dolu, tam bir hasta ruh. Filmdeki tv, imaj fetişizmi, özenti, başka biri olma arzusu da cabası.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

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Pablo Larraín

Director

Alfredo Castro

Raúl Peralta

Héctor Morales

Goyo

Paola Lattus

Pauli

Amparo Noguera

Cony

Elsa Poblete

Wilma

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Synopsis

On weekends, 50-something Raul Peralta (Alfredo Castro) goes to the same bar outside his native Santiago, Chile, and, with friends, dances to the hits from his favorite film, "Saturday Night Fever." When he gets wind of a TV contest seeking the best imitation of Tony Manero, the main character from the film, he becomes fixated on winning. But as Raul becomes involved in nefarious activities -- including murder -- to complete his Tony Manero transition, he puts his friends and himself at risk.

Director: Pablo Larraín
Producer: Juan de Dios Larraín
Screenwriter: Alfredo Castro, Mateo Iribarren, Pablo Larraín
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 25, 2017
Runtime: 1h 38m