Guillem Morales (born 1 September 1973) is a Spanish filmmaker, playwright, and novelist. He is best known for writing and directing the Spanish thriller films The Uninvited Guest (2004) and Julia's Eyes (2010), directing various episodes of the British dark comedy series Inside No. 9 (2015–present), and directing the British thriller film The Wasp (2024).
Morales' first short film, Back Room (1999), won several international awards and was nominated for a Goya Award for Best Fiction Short Film in 2000.[3] This was followed by a second short film, Upside Down (2002),[4] and two films in collaboration with the dance company Errequerre: Divadlo (2000)[5] and APPAI (2006).[6]
Morales made his feature-length directorial debut with the horror thriller The Uninvited Guest (El Habitante Incierto) in 2004, based on his own script and starring Andoni Gracia and Mónica López. The film premiered at the Sitges Catalonian International Film Festival on 21 October 2004, with Lopez winning the award for Best Actress.[7] The film also won Best Picture at the Fant Festival of Bilbao.[8] At the 20th Goya Awards, Morales received a nomination for Best New Director.[9]
Morales' follow-up film, Julia's Eyes (Los Ojos de Julia) in 2010, was also a horror thriller. It was produced by Guillermo del Toro and stars Belén Rueda.[10] Morales co-wrote the script with Oriol Paulo. The film premiered on 20 October 2010 in Spain.[11] It was released in the United Kingdom by Optimum Releasing on 20 May 2011,[12] and in Australia by Umbrella Entertainment on 2 June 2011.[13]
Morales is also attached as director to other films. One of them is the screen adaptation of the novel Brother by Ania Ahlborn.[18] The script is written by Fred Strydom.
In 2016 Morales directed the BBC three-part TV dramatisation Decline and Fall, which was based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh. It starred Jack Whitehall, David Suchet, Eva Longoria, Douglas Hodge, Stephen Graham, and Vincent Franklin, amongst others.[25] The production, adapted by James Wood, was broadcast from 31 March to 14 April 2017 on BBC One, and was the book's first television adaptation. The series received largely positive reviews: Alastair Mckay of the Evening Standard called it "delicately constructed and pitch-perfect.[citation needed] Ellen E. Jones remarked on the show's "many enjoyable performances".[citation needed]
In 2017, Morales adapted the famous novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley for the stage, which was performed at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya. The play premiered in Barcelona on 15 February 2018, and ran until 25 March 2018. It was very successful, with 800 seat theatre being sold out every evening. The work was directed by Carme Portaceli and starred Angel Llàcer as Frankenstein and Joel Joan as the monster.
Frankenstein marked Morales' first foray into writing for theatre, and is the only time so far in his career he has written professionally in his mother tongue language, Catalan. The project was proposed to Morales by Carme Portaceli, due to their long friendship and desire to collaborate. In adapting Frankenstein for the stage, Morales and Portaceli had the chance "to explore the darkest territories of the wounded humanity of the myth".[31] At the press conference, Morales stated that "Frankenstein is, in fact, two stories in one: that of the creator, which begins in light and ends in darkness; and that of the creature, which starts in darkness and finishes in light. Two beings who, even though they hate each other, are united by the bond of creation."
Morales was not interested in discussing the Promethean aspect of Doctor Frankenstein, but rather the power of Nature, stating that, "the mystery is not up there, but in the womb of the woman"[32] and he also explained that, "the true tragedy is Frankenstein's irresponsibility in abandoning the Creature."[33] In her extensive review, Gema Moraleda picked up on this aspect, stating that Morales' work "moved away from the most obvious interpretation [...] to face perhaps the most human and terrifying story, that of the abandonment of what is created, the child, without wanting to take responsibility for it. Morales presents us with a undoubtedly evil, selfish, and cowardly Doctor Frankenstein, willing to do anything to avoid acknowledging his actions and their consequences. Facing him is a monster who is not originally so, but is driven to it by the evil and misunderstanding of the world. A monster who could have loved him but who has no choice but to hate him".[34]
Books
Morales has published two fiction novels to date, with Plaza y Janes. The first novel, El Accidente de Lauren Marsh (The Accident of Lauren Marsh), was published in 2020.[35] The book was a 2020 finalist for the Memorial Silverio Cañada Award for best first novel in Spanish noir.[36] The second novel, La Hora del Lobo (Wolf Night), was published in 2022.[37]
Personal life
Morales has lived and worked in London since 2010.[38][39]
^Morales, Guillem (26 January 2006), A.P.A.A.I (Short), Maria Angeles Angulo, Susana Castro, Mario G. Sáez, Televisió de Catalunya (TV3), retrieved 1 April 2024
