Saturn Return (film)

Saturn Return (Segundo premio) is a 2024 musical drama film directed by Isaki Lacuesta and Pol Rodríguez starring Daniel Ibáñez and Stéphanie Magnin. It is inspired by the story of the musical band Los Planetas.

Plot
Set in 1998 against the backdrop of Granada's musical scene, the plot fictionalizes the creative process behind Los Planetas' third album.

Production
Saturn Return was originally set to be directed by Jonás Trueba, but Trueba eventually left the project for undisclosed reasons and Isaki Lacuesta took over, while Fernando Navarro remained in writing duties. The film is Spanish-French co-production by La Terraza Films, Áralan Films, Ikiru Films, Capricci Films, Bteam Prods., Sideral Cinema, Los Ilusos Films, and Toxicosmos AIE production. Shooting locations in Granada included the Campo del Príncipe.

Release
Film distribution will be handled by BTeam Pictures in Spain and Capricci Films in France. Latido Films acquired international sales rights. The film was presented at the 27th Málaga Film Festival on 5 March 2024. It was also selected for screenings at the 14th D'A Film Festival Barcelona, the 25th Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (BAFICI), and the 39th Guadalajara International Film Festival. It was released theatrically in Spain on 24 May 2024.

Reception
Jonathan Holland of ScreenDaily deemed the film to be something both "very watchable and artistically satisfying".

Andrea G. Bermejo of Cinemanía rated the film 5 out of 5 stars and praised the work of the cast, both the musicians who had never acted before and the actors who never had had a Granadan accent.

Raúl Julián of Mondo Sonoro gave the film a 8 out of 10 score, writing about "100 minutes of focus and approach far removed from conventionalisms and well maintained by the filmmakers, as well as supported by actors in a state of grace".

Eulàlia Iglesias of Ara rated the film 4½ out of 5 stars, pointing out that a number of features in the film "move the proposal away from the prosaic routines of musical biopics with an exhaustive, mimetic and Wikipedist vocation".

Sergi Sánchez of La Razón rated the film 5 out of 5 stars, considering it one of "the most exciting films about friendship and artistic creation that recent Spanish cinema has produced".

Marta Medina of El Confidencial rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, considering it "one of the most suggestive films of the year".

Accolades

 * rowspan = "3" | 2024 || rowspan = "3" | 27th Málaga Film Festival || colspan = "2" | Golden Biznaga for Best Spanish Film || Won || rowspan = "3" |
 * Best Director || Isaki Lacuesta, Pol Rodríguez || Won
 * Best Editing || Javi Frutos || Won
 * }
 * Best Editing || Javi Frutos || Won
 * }
 * }