Torrente Presidente: far-right parody or progressive whitewash?

Torrente Presidente: the comedy splitting Spain between satire and propaganda

Nearly four months ago, the release of Torrente Presidente reignited the eternal debate over the limits of political satire in Spanish cinema. The sixth instalment of the saga created by Santiago Segura arrived with a bold premise: putting his most grotesque character in the race for president. And the result was the one expected in times of extreme polarisation: a film that leaves nobody indifferent.

The cameos that set their sights on the election

The film's biggest draw is its cast of cameos, which outnumbers and outdares those of any previous instalment. Bertín Osborne plays Pedro Vilches, a Prime Minister who admires himself in the mirror with narcissism, a clear nod to Pedro Sánchez. Beside him is an adviser named Patxi, a reference to the socialist Patxi López. The parody also includes a brief appearance by Kevin Spacey, according to set leaks, and a gag about the Trump assassination attempt that some viewers have called "bad taste".

However, the sharpest critics point to what is missing: no trace of satire against the PP, Bildu, Puigdemont or the Government's independence-minded coalition partners. The main target is, without doubt, the far right. Torrente signs up for Nox (the fictional party that emulates VOX), and the jokes land again and again on the profile of the "fascist" voter – as Santiago Segura defines it from his perspective, according to the analyses. For one strand of the audience, the film is a pamphlet disguised as comedy; for the other, a parody that laughs at everyone, but with particular venom against those highest in the polls.

Two souls at the box office

Those who have seen it and appreciate its crude humour rank it third in the saga, behind only the first two instalments. They highlight its surprise cameos and its ability to hook the character's devoted fans. But at the same time, a considerable faction rejects it outright: they call it "regime propaganda" and believe Santiago Segura has lost the equidistance that once defined the character. "He laughs at VOX supporters but leaves out the left and the nationalists" is a recurring complaint.

The controversy is not limited to content. The fact that the film received public subsidies – something Segura has always denied for his saga, but which industry sources take as fact – stokes tempers further. In a country where every public euro spent on cinema is scrutinised closely, funding a comedy that openly positions itself against one political option raises hackles.

The noise over subsidies and accountability

The debate over whether Torrente Presidente was subsidised is as old as the saga itself. Santiago Segura has maintained for years that his films are financed entirely by box office and private sponsorship – Antena 3, for example, takes part in the production. However, several analyses have revealed that they have also benefited from grants from the ICAA (Spain's film institute), like almost all Spanish cinema. The paradox is that, while right-wing audiences accuse the filmmaker of living off public money to ridicule them, his defenders reply that his films' box office is among the highest in the country and that, in any case, the subsidies are legitimate.

Meanwhile, the film continues its commercial run. And the question hanging in the air is whether this kind of politicised humour delivers what it promises: making everyone laugh. For now, the laughter seems to stay in separate compartments. Those who feel targeted do not laugh; those who don't, are entertained at the first group's expense. The line separating satire from pamphlet is as thin as Torrente's moustache.

Who laughs last?

The truth is that Torrente Presidente will go down in history as the saga's most explicitly political instalment. And also as the one that stirred up the hornet's nest the most. Santiago Segura, who began his career in Almodóvar's cinema and demonstrated against the Iraq war, has shown that, when it suits him, he knows exactly who to shoot at. Time will tell whether the box office proves him right or whether polarisation devours its own creator.