A little confusing at times, but it keeps you on edge straight from the start!
Sophia’s Suspicion (La sospecha de Sofía) screens as part of this year’s 2026 HSBC Spanish and Latin American Film Festival, more information about the festival is available here: HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival in cinemas June
Read the Glam Adelaide story about the festival here: 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival begins 10 June – 5 July at Palace Nova Cinemas – Glam Adelaide
Sophia’s Suspicion (La sospecha de Sofía) is part of a great bunch of films to be aired in Australia at the 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival this year. Directed by Imanol Uribe and featuring X-Men: First Class actor Álex González as Daniel, with Aura Garrido as Sofía, this political thriller is endlessly unpredictable. Originally based on the Planeta Prize winning novel (same name) by Paloma Sánchez-Garnica, the story primarily takes place in Madrid and East Berlin, and is set against the political backdrop of the 1960s. It was adapted to a screenplay by Gemma Ventura.
From the opening moments, it is immediately political, setting up a world shaped by communism, fascism, and the authoritarian weight of Franco’s dictatorship in Spain. Straight away we are thrown into ideological tensions, which are a little disorienting at first, and continue for the rest of the film. I could not always quite make sense of what was happening, and the ending did not tie up all loose ends neatly. Without having read the book, I am unable to compare the adaptation itself.
That being said, what really carries the film are these constant tensions. There is always this feeling of impossible choices, the lack of boundaries between the state and one’s personal lives, and thus not really knowing who to trust or how long anything is safe for. Blackmail and lack of personal power for both Daniel and Sofia (albeit for different reasons) are central to the plot. Other major themes that are apparent include the patriarchal structure of Spanish society at the time, power imbalances, blackmail, identity, and trust.
Early in the film, there is a scene involving Daniel that introduces the patriarchal structure of Spanish society and the idea of women being treated “as minors”. Only, it isn’t presented just as an abstract discussion — it is placed directly after Sofía’s lived reality in prior scenes. The consistent themes, and strong focus on the lead characters are key.
Choosing Álex González as the protagonist is film’s strongest asset. His subtle changes in mannerisms, expressions and emotional responses anchor the film. Sofía’s growing doubt is also central to the emotional core of the story, and Aura Garrido pulls this off in good form. Who is she actually living with?
At its core, the film is about impossible choices and unstable truths, exposing the power structures underpinning both the domestic and political world during this period. The personal and political are tightly fused from the beginning, and the film surprises with twists that don’t feel purely mechanical. Instead, they deepen the psychological pressure without overshadowing what is most compelling: the internal unravelling of both characters.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
Rating 3.5 out of 5
Distributor: Palace Films
