Running Time: 93 Minutes
Starring: Esteban Bigliardi, Javier Chávez, Eduardo Miglionico, Mirella Pascual, Gabriela Iribarren, Ariel Caldarelli, Walter Rey, Mirella Pascual, Pablo Tate, Fernando Canto
After twenty years locked away in prison, Esteban (Esteban Bigliardi) is finally a free man. He was found guilty of murdering young girls, a crime for which he has maintained his innocence, and just wants to keep his head down while moving forward with his life. Prior to leaving prison, Esteban's cellmate warned him that it does not matter whether he was innocent or guilty, attempts would be made against his life. It turns out that this is correct, as the murdered girls' families meet to plan murdering Esteban.
With a title like Sweet Violence, you may be expecting a specific kind of story that contains plenty of violent vigilante actions. Yet, for his feature debut, director Jeremías Segovia offers a more thoughtful and emotional approach to a gritty revenge story. This is seen when the focus lays upon the victim's loved ones, who are at a loss with how to deal with their feelings. Some may consider therapy, but they decide to make Esteban pay.
There is a clear disconnect between the assembled group, whether it is a father who does not want to feel the impact of taking a life, or a grandfather who believes doing this will prevent other families from experiencing the same emotional torment. There is also a naivety to their actions, as Juanjo - who previously dated one of the victims - searches the dark web to hire hitmen. Their uncertainty about whether the deal is completed, and desire for a cheaper alternative, leaves them in the crosshairs of Maldonado (Federico Guerra), a hitman who has simmering darkness beneath his chill persona. It shows how out of depth these people are, as their struggles at handling their grief leaves them in worse situations.
Meanwhile, Esteban just wants to get through life with his head down. He takes a job at a kitchen, where he is told to only use the backdoor to stop anyone knowing he works there. While adopting a stray dog and making friends at work, he just wants a quiet life for the rest of his days. But he is aware that people know his identity, with a coerced trip into a nightclub leaving him anxious at being recognised for his alleged crimes. Most interesting is the ambiguity offered at whether he committed the horrific crimes or not, and only recognising how he has served his sentence and not reoffended upon his release. In the eyes of the law, should that not mean rehabilitation and justice being served?
The screenplay by Juan Martín Alonso is not as full of violent vengeance as one may expect. It is instead about how revenge can warp us beyond recognition, in a troubling journey to grapple with loss and the impact caused by such violence. Because, it is not just the victim's loved ones who struggle with the fallout, but also Esteban's parents who are left judged and doubting their parental abilities. While the people left behind have to pick up the pieces, it does not matter how much they can justify their actions, or how much blood they can shed. The damage has been done, and they cannot bring back those they have lost. Sweet Violence is refreshing in its approach to a revenge story, offering a less polished and more thoughtful take while not skimping on the brutality when necessary.
Sweet Violence made its UK Premiere at FrightFest 2026
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