Spending Christmas Eve working is not a tasteful dish for anyone. Spend it in prison, even less. And if you work in a prison and have to do it on Christmas Eve, turn it off and let’s go. Well, that’s exactly what happens Hugo (Alberto Ammann), the guardian of the Psychiatric Prison of Monte Baruca and protagonist of ‘The Longest Night’, the new Netflix. On December 24, the prison receives the arrival of Simon Lago (Luis Callejo), a dangerous serial killer. What Hugo doesn’t know is that a group of gunmen are preparing to save him.
“The longest night”, the new Netflix blockbuster has an extraordinary cast that is complemented by names like Bárbara Goenaga, José Luis García Pérez or Daniel Albaladejo. We had the opportunity to chat with them and they told us their first impressions by reading the text of the series. “I devoured the script, I love the fact that it all happens overnight, which has already won me over”Goenaga admits. “Being a thriller, being an action, having weapons, chases and all, there was room for the characters, for the dilemmas.”. García Pérez, who plays one of the men who will try to get Simón out, agrees with his partner. “From a screenplay it seems to me a very particular thing, very compact, even if it is framed inside a prison”. A slightly more graphic definition was made by Albadalejo when he defined it as “a kind of Dragon Khan”a roller coaster from which you come out ecstatic and in which you want to go back up immediately.
Despite the ensemble cast, Baruca’s own prison has its own presence and personality, almost feeling like one more character. In this regard, Amman responded. “The Tres Cantos studios are fantastic, they continue to grow. There will be a university for cinema there. The place is an important bet for the profession and for people who want to work and who until now have not had many opportunities to due to the lack of productions. In the two sets we went to, the artwork was impressive. “. The whole team agrees on how impressive the facilities are. “You arrive on the set and there is the whole prison. Even the outside is beautiful ships”. Callejo highlighted the script’s influence in further personalizing the psychiatric prison. “He’s one more character to such an extent that they had to be very clear on the scripts to decide where each room was going in order for continuity to work. They were very careful”. In this regard, Albaladejo added that it is very important “geography” of Baruca to see how “everything has been positioned” and that the viewer understands at all times “where is everyone”.
Very addicting action
Undoubtedly, one of the big bets of “The Longest Night” is its action scenes, an area that Netflix has covered exceptionally with examples like “The Paper House” or “The Squid Game”. The protagonists told us about it, as Amman and Goenaga reveal that they had to use custom-made earplugs due to the great noise of the bullets inside the prison. “Today, shooting can be done in post-production, but we used blank or blank cartridges. They were real weapons, but that in an enclosed place is a noticeable noise, so they made us some bespoke grips”Amman revealed. As for the lineup that the team of actors had to do, García Pérez admitted it “He hasn’t fired more shots in his life”. “The work of the specialists and the dedication of the cast made it live in a very real way, apart from the fact that it is a lot of fun”. Albaladejo wanted to add the physical sacrifice necessary to put himself in the shoes of a character like ‘Cherokee’. “All the previous work you do in the gym, because, in a sense, muscular, so that later you see that there is credibility in the movement. And then work on it with our choreographer, with Roca”.
However, Luis Callejo’s character is a cold and calculating killer, more of a mathematician than a butcher. “My how is the white glove practiced origami at home”, the actor points out. As for his character preparation, Callejo admits he hasn’t tried to avoid any clichés as this type of character has been brought to the screen on many occasions. “One thing about Simon that I find different from the other psychopaths we’ve seen is that I see him thinking all the time. Unlike a certain passivity that we have been able to see, I always see Simón plotting. And knowing how to read it in the actor’s gaze makes it different” added Garcia Perez. “My wife told me you can hear me think, and once a director advised me to make characters that speak little.”Callejo replied.
Finally, Amman wanted to highlight the more moral part of “The Longest Night”. “The interesting thing is that as a spectator you place yourself hopelessly in the situation of the characters. There are several voices for or against the decisions my character makes, which in the end is the one that is worth it. Assemble a moral and ethical discussion that is the heart of the story”. The actor also praised the streaming platform after his successful work on “Narcos”. “With Netflix I have a practically loving relationship. They kept me very much in mind for the projects, the human quality that I found within a large company was wonderful. I am very grateful for the trust and because they continue to count on me“.
“Longest Night” is available on Netflix from July 8.
Source: E Cartelera
