The Bar(2017)
2017 · Álex de la Iglesia · 102 min
In downtown Madrid, a series of mysterious gunshots trap a motley assortment of people in a decrepit bar.
Horror · Thriller · Comedy
6.31.4k votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
3/5
Gore
3/5
Stays with you
How The Bar scares
It kicks off fast with a strange, unexplained death right outside a crowded bar, then spends its middle stretch tightening the screws as the group realizes they can't leave. The back half spirals into frantic, darkly funny chaos as paranoia turns the trapped strangers against each other, and things get messier and grosser the longer it goes. There's real physical danger and some stomach-turning moments, but the tone stays sharp and satirical rather than heavy or grim. Good for people who like their horror mixed with biting humor and social panic rather than ghosts or monsters.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Bar rates psychological 3/5, visceral 4/5, gore 3/5, lingering effect 3/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 3 of 5
- Visceral: 4 of 5
- Gore: 3 of 5
- Lingering: 3 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 35 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 92 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 55 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
Starts with a sudden jolt into danger, then keeps ratcheting up in bursts of panic and dark comic chaos with little real rest, building to a frantic, high-pressure final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 2, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5, 4, 5, 5, 4.
How scary is The Bar?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Bar rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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