‘The Beloved’ stars Javier Bardem as Esteban Martínez, an acclaimed director who casts his estranged daughter in his ambitious new film. The production becomes an attempt to repair their damaged relationship, while also exposing how Esteban’s devotion to artistic control has made him a neglectful father. The review finds the film emotionally nuanced and distinct from the similarly themed ‘Sentimental Value’, despite their unfortunate proximity.

The film explores the practical pressures of filmmaking through Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s inventive use of sound, lenses, black-and-white imagery and other techniques. Its portrayal of delays and tensions on set feels convincingly realistic, while its treatment of auteur theory questions the idea that one director alone creates a film. Although the opening is slow and Esteban’s reputation is not clearly established, the review praises the film’s psychological insight and its attention to the complex roles played by the wider cast.