The Invisible Guest (2017)
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- Oriol Paulo originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- The incredible score for The Invisible Guest was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
The Invisible Guest is a 2017 Spanish mystery thriller directed by Oriol Paulo. Mario Casas stars as Adrián Doria, a young, successful businessman accused of murdering his lover Laura in a locked hotel room — a crime for which the evidence is overwhelming but which Adrián claims was committed by an unseen intruder. Hours before his trial, Adrián's defense lawyer brings in Virginia Goodman, a legendary witness preparation specialist played by Ana Wagener, who has never lost a case and demands absolute honesty so she can construct his defense.
Over the course of one intense night, Adrián tells his story — but each retelling reveals new lies, and Virginia methodically strips away each deception. The Invisible Guest was a masterfully constructed puzzle-box thriller whose twist ending recontextualized everything the audience had assumed. The film became a massive international hit, earning over $30 million in China alone after limited Spanish release.
