We chat with director Alberto Vázquez for his new film 'Decorado.' A Stunning, Subversive Take on Modern Life and Illusion
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
Reel Perspectives
May 6, 2026
There’s something quietly unnerving about the world of Decorado, and that’s precisely what makes it so unforgettable. In his latest feature, acclaimed director Alberto Vázquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children, Unicorn Wars) delivers a darkly mesmerizing animated experience that is intellectually provocative, based on his 2016 short film of the same name.
Set in the deceptively ordinary city of Anywhere, Decorado follows Arnold, a middle-aged mouse unraveling under the suspicion that his life is little more than a staged performance. After confiding in his wife, his best friend Ramiro dies under mysterious circumstances, and he traces the conspiracy to a monolithic corporation whose influence reaches every corner of their daily lives.
We sat with director Vázquez to discuss his vison for the new film who shared
the key to unlocking his vision for Decorado is more of a “parody of classic Disney characters ” which isn’t just aesthetic but ideological. He borrows the familiar language of traditional animation using animals, simple character designs, and a structured, almost fable-like world popularized by Disney. However Vázquez subverts that expectation at every turn. Instead of offering tidy resolutions or uplifting lessons, he fills the framework with emotional dislocation. The result is a world that feels deeply broken.
That tension is where the satire lives. By mimicking a style we instinctively trust, Vázquez exposes how constructed and performative our own realities can be. Arnold and his wife, Maria, whom Vázquez mirrors after Mickey and Minnie Mouse, is representative of how many people experience modern existence: trapped in routines that feel pre-written, working jobs that lack meaning, and maintaining relationships that often feel surface-level despite constant digital connection.
Decorado is elvated by it's thematic ambition. Beneath the dark undertone of the illusion of choice, and the quiet suffocation of individuality. Arnold’s journey isn’t just personal, it’s universal. Yet for all its cynicism, the film never loses sight of something deeply human: the longing for authenticity and connection. Arnold’s relationship with Maria grounds the story, offering moments of tenderness amid the chaos, and most importantly, hope.
As the 2026 Goya Award-winner for Best Animated Feature, Decorado doesn’t just tell a story, it challenges you to question the very nature of the one you’re living in.
Decorado is available in theaters in its original Spanish language and in an all-new English-language dub beginning May 15.
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