El misterio de la Puerta del Sol is a chaotic 1929 mess I kind of loved

Is it worth the watch?

Honestly, you should only sit through this if you really care about how movies used to be made or if you have a soft spot for old Madrid. If you are looking for a tight thriller, you are going to be very disappointed.

History nerds will love it because it’s the first Spanish talkie. But regular people might just find the sound super annoying because it crackles like a bag of chips the whole time. 🍿

It’s a movie for people who like to see the seams. The mistakes. The moments where the actors look like they are waiting for someone to tell them what to do next.

The story follows Pompeyo and Rodolfo. They are linotype artists, which basically means they spend all day making newspapers at *El Heraldo de Madrid*.

I love the scenes in the newspaper office. You can almost smell the ink and the sweat.

These two aren't happy with their lives, though. They want to be stars.

They meet this American director named E.S. Carawa. He gives them a screen test and it is brutal to watch.

They are so stiff. They have no idea what to do with their hands.

When they get rejected, they don't just go back to their jobs and cry like normal people. No, they decide to stage a fake murder to get their names in the headlines.

This is where the movie gets really weird. It starts as a comedy but then it gets actually kind of dark?

The plan is so dumb. They think if they are famous criminals, Hollywood will want them.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Es mi hombre. There is this very specific Spanish vibe of "trying too hard and failing miserably."

But then the "victim" actually disappears. Or something. It gets a bit confusing because the editing is so jumpy.

Suddenly, Rodolfo is in court. He’s facing the death penalty.

The tone shift is like walking into a wall. One minute they are joking around, the next there is a priest and a judge.

The street scenes are the best part, though. The real Puerta del Sol.

You see the old cars. You see people in hats just staring at the camera because they don't know what a movie crew is.

It feels more like a time machine than a story. It has that same raw feeling you get in New York Nights where the city is the biggest character.

I noticed one extra in the background of the street scene who just stops and picks his nose for a solid three seconds. Nobody edited that out.

The sound is... well, it's a mess. It was recorded using the Phonofilm system.

Sometimes the voices don't match the mouths. It’s like watching a badly dubbed kung-fu movie but it’s 1929 Madrid.

There is a scene where a woman is singing and the audio just cuts out for a second. It’s hilarious.

Random notes from my notebook:

• The mustache on the director is definitely fake. It looks like it’s trying to escape his face.
• Why are they so obsessed with being movie stars? Was 1929 that boring?
• The judge has the most dramatic eyebrows I have ever seen in my life.
• The courtroom scene goes on about four minutes too long. We get it, he's in trouble.
• The music is actually pretty catchy when you can hear it through the static.

It’s not a masterpiece. Not even close.

But there is something so human about it. It’s a movie about people wanting to be in movies, made by people who were just figuring out how to make sound movies.

If you’ve seen Betty's Bath, you know how these early experiments can feel a bit thin. This is longer, but just as shaky.

I found myself wondering what happened to the actors. Most of them didn't really become the big stars their characters wanted to be.

There’s a sadness to it. Especially the ending.

It wraps up so fast you might blink and miss it. They clearly ran out of money or time or both.

Don't expect a polished "cinematic experience." Expect a grainy, loud, weird little relic.

I’m glad I watched it, but I don't think I’ll ever watch it again. Once is enough for this kind of mystery. 🕵️‍♂️

One more thing—the way they handle the "murder" evidence is so incompetent. It’s a miracle the police in this movie can even find their own shoes.

If you like 1920s fashion, the hats are 10/10. Everything else is about a 4/10, but a fun 4/10.