
Like a House on Fire
2021

2024
Director
Álex Montoya
Runtime
81 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
After the death of their father, three siblings return to the family home where they grew up. They intend to sell it and follow their very different paths. But as memories surface in every corner, a fear of getting rid of the past and an impulse to reunite grows in them. As a last tribute to their father, there may still be time to make up for lost time and the house may witness new stories.
Overall Score
Fair
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ characters or narratives centered on non-cisnormative identities. It focuses on a traditional ensemble structure centered on familial lineage and sibling dynamics.
Gender Representation
The ensemble cast is balanced, driven by the shared grief of the siblings. The film avoids rigid masculine or feminine tropes, favoring nuanced, vulnerable portrayals of characters navigating loss.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The production reflects a localized Spanish demographic consistent with its social-realist setting. It prioritizes class-based visibility and socioeconomic vulnerability over a diverse ethnic representation.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The narrative offers a strong critique of neoliberalism and gentrification. It prioritizes community identity and collective memory over the disruptive forces of corporate real estate development.
Disability Representation
There is no evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities. The narrative focus remains on the psychological impact of grief and socioeconomic displacement.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Álex Montoya’s drama finds its progressive edge through a sharp critique of systemic power rather than demographic variety. By framing the struggle against gentrification, the film uses a class-based lens to examine how neoliberal urbanism erodes community stability. While the cast reflects a localized Spanish demographic, the film avoids traditional archetypes. It replaces spectacle with a restrained, surgical look at how institutional forces impact the sanctity of the home. Ultimately, the work functions as a micro-study of social tension. It challenges the inevitability of capitalist expansion by centering the subjective truths of residents against the tide of modernization.

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