Instinct (El Instinto)

There is some worth in paying attention to the aged dog training films at the start and during the film. It adds some more historical and cultural background to the Spanish’s relationship with the animals.

Abel (Javier Pereira) is a successful architect who has crippling agoraphobia. He lives with his partner Sonia (Eva Llorach) in large house in the middle of nowhere. There’s also their dog Leo, who escapes from the house and is runover by Jose (Fernando Cayo) after Abel leaves the door open.

The death of the dog and his condition is starting to strain his relationship and affecting his business. Seeing five therapists has done no good. So when he has a surprise visit from Jose – a dog trainer – offering to use his skills to help Abel, he’s sceptical though open to the suggestion.

What transpires is a two hander between Cayo and Pereira as Jose moves in and begins to take control over all aspects of Abel’s life. This starts with some fairly routine instruction that begins to intensify with the use of electric shock and choke collars.

Instinct is at times a deeply troubling film which writer and director Juan Albarracín will have to carry. The misogyny and cruelty at play when Jose introduces a prostitute into the treatment is horrendous. The viewer will have worked out that Jose is mad, fueled by his copious drinking, before that sequence with the capacity to do anything but it stains the film.

That aside Albarracín tries through flashbacks and memory to explain the Abel’s condition. Like much of this film it's not exactly subtle and is anyway complete overpowered by the Jose’s actions. Needless to say, there are escape attempts which only result in more punishment and humiliation.

The two leads make a good fist of the unlikely bordering on absurd concept with Cayo revelling in the madness of his role. While Pereira comes over as pathetic and unsympathetic right from the start of the film.

Instinct had its UK premiere at London FrightFest in August 2025.