Eva is a 2011 science fiction film directed by Kike Maíllo and starring Daniel Brühl, Marta Etura, Alberto Ammann, Claudia Vega, Anne Canovas and Lluís Homar. A co-production between Spain and France, the film had its world premiere on 7 September 2011 at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, where it was screened out of competition. It was released theatrically in Spain on 28 October 2011 and in France on 21 March 2012.
Eva was nominated in twelve categories at the 26th Goya Awards, scoring three wins—Best New Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Special Effects. It earned nominations for Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Make Up and Hairstyles, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Production Supervision and Best Sound. The film was also nominated for sixteen Gaudí Awards, winning five.
Contents
Plot
In 2043, a future where humans coexist with advanced machines, Eva follows cybernetic engineer Álex Garel as he returns to his snowy hometown of Santa Irene after a decade away. Recruited by the Robotic Faculty—led by his former mentor, Julia—Álex is tasked with completing the SI-9 project: a lifelike child robot designed to mimic human emotions. The assignment forces him to confront unresolved tensions with his estranged family, including his brother David and ex-lover Lana, now married to David and working as professors after abandoning robotics research.
Álex arrives at the university laboratory, where Julia oversees students testing robots. A malfunctioning robotic horse is "killed" using a phrase that erases its emotional memory, a process Álex criticizes as destroying its "soul." Reviewing footage of children to model the SI-9 after, Álex dismisses the candidates as unremarkable. He retreats to his late father’s home, assisted by SI-7 robot Max, an anxious domestic aide. While observing children in town, Álex meets Eva, a sharp-witted girl who teases him after catching him watching her. Intrigued by her unpredictability, he asks her to model for the SI-9, but she refuses.
At David’s insistence, Álex visits their home for dinner and discovers Eva is Lana’s daughter—and his niece. Eva later visits Álex’s lab, assisting him in programming the SI-9’s emotional responses. Their bond grows as Eva exhibits complex behaviors, including lying about her parents’ separation to manipulate Álex. Meanwhile, Lana warns Álex against involving Eva in the project, while David privately confronts him about lingering feelings for Lana.
As Álex integrates Eva’s traits into the SI-9, the robot mirrors her volatility, lashing out when mocked. After it nearly attacks him, Álex uses the kill phrase—"What do you see when you close your eyes?"—deleting its memory and halting progress. Frustrated, he attends a faculty party, where a slow dance with Lana reignites their connection. David witnesses their subsequent kiss, leading to a violent confrontation where he accuses Álex of abandoning Lana years earlier.
Álex resolves to leave Santa Irene, but Lana intercepts him, confessing she still loves him. Their reunion is interrupted when Eva, spying through a skylight, overhears Lana cryptically state, "She looks like us because we both made her." Fleeing in distress, Eva collapses in the snow. Lana pursues her, revealing Eva’s true nature: she is not human but the original SI-9 prototype, created by Álex and Lana during their relationship. A malfunctioning Eva pushes Lana off a cliff during a struggle, mortally injuring her.
Cast
Daniel Brühl as Álex, the robot engineer
Marta Etura as Lana, a former lover of Álex
Lluís Homar as Max, robotic butler
Alberto Ammann as David, Álex's brother and Lana's lover
Claudia Vega as Eva, Lana's child
Anne Canovas as Julia, head of the robotics program
Shooting
Atmosphere
The film combines computer generated imagery of robots and engineering devices and retro clothing and props like a Saab 900 car.
Locations
The film was shot in the province of Barcelona (interior scenes); Panticosa in Huesca; La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland; and Tenerife (the final scene).
Release
Eva was first screened out of competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival on 7 September 2011. Subsequently, it opened the Sitges Film Festival on 6 October 2011. The film had its French premiere at the Angers European First Film Festival on 24 January 2012. On 27 January, the film was screened at the Gérardmer Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. Eva was shown at the Festival of Iberian and Latin American Cinema in Villeurbanne.
The film was released theatrically in Spain on 28 October 2011 by Paramount Pictures and in France on 21 March 2012 by Wild Bunch Distribution. In the United States, it was released in select theaters on 13 March 2015 by The Weinstein Company.
Reception
Critical response
Eva received generally positive reviews from film critics. Miguel Juan Payán of the Acción Cine described the film as a "brave science fiction exercise", and compared it to classics such as Frankenstein, Metropolis, Blade Runner and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. He awarded the film with five out of five points, and especially praised the performances of the cast members. Ignacio Lasierra of Cine para leer also reviewed the film positively, calling it a "strong and beautiful film with robots." The website Critics Cinema gave Eva 4.5 out of five stars and described it as "an intelligent film that, aparts from notable effects, also offers interesting and emotional stories."
However, Olivier Bachelard of the French website Abus de ciné felt the "tension build gradually, but without reaching the summit, [...] It remains politically correct, generates little suspense and remains in the area of the nice picture. [...] We would have seen a real thriller. They preferred to give us a little sci–fi targeting families." Carlos Fernández Castro of the Spanish blog Bandeja de Plata gave the film 4.5 points out of five, praising Claudia Vega's portrayal of Eva. In contrast to that, he named the performance of Daniel Brühl as "odd since the moment he had appeared in the film", and the character of Marta Etura as "shallow."
