A couple on the verge of a breakup; an unsettling visit.
Jon and Katharina are a couple spending the harsh winter in a remote village on the Cantabrian coast (Spain). They stay in his old family house, far too big for only two people. They are trapped in the routine of a sparkless long-term relationship. When Katharina becomes unintentionally pregnant, she begins to question whether moving in with Jon was the best decision.
Then one day, an increasing number of amateur ufologists start arriving and settling on the beach in front of Jon and Katharina’s house. A few hours earlier, strange lights were seen illuminating that part of the sky. Many neighbors claim to have caught glimpses of strange flying objects.
The next day, the couple’s uneventfulness is further disturbed by the unexpected arrival of Markel and his attractive and silent companion, Virginia. Markel claims to be Jon’s distant cousin and asks if they can stay for a couple of nights, but Jon has no recollection of ever having seen him.
The situation soon becomes uncomfortable. Virginia’s presence becomes more and more disturbing, and the couple not only does not seem to want to leave, but they begin to take over the house. The tension is suffocating, Jon and Katharina are both fascinated and repelled by these two new tenants. They rely on them to avoid their problems as a couple.
A fast-paced story full of tension, mystery, uncertainty, and unexpected twists and turns.
RELEVANT DATA: The Strangers (Los extraños) has been praised by critics and audiences alike for both its complex characters and its suffocating atmosphere.
An unmistakable brand that blends realism and fantasy, Jon Bilbao has earned a unique place in Spanish Genre literature. Throughout his career, he has won numerous awards. At the age of 33 he received the Asturias Youth Award from the Asturias Ministry of Culture, Social Communication and Tourism. He was also awarded the Ojo Crítico de Narrativa Award, the Tigre Juan Award and the Euskadi Award for Literature.
What the critics have said:
“Mixing the ordinary with the extraordinary doesn’t always work, but Jon Bilbao achieves it without having the need to write 400 pages in The Strangers (Los extraños).” La Vanguardia
“Jon Bilbao perfects, with each new book, his peculiar and, at times, very Anglo-Saxon gift for what Roberto Bolaño called the fencing exercise.” Laura Fernández of Babelia
“Bilbao’s greatest asset, besides portraying some striking characters, is his remarkable agility. That fast pace that takes us from one story to another, without giving us any room to breathe.” Rosa Martí of Esquire
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: In development as a Film.
LANGUAGES AVAILABLE: Spanish.
