A Trap for a Corpse

After their mother dies, two brothers quietly map out a plan to seize the inheritance left in the care of their stepparent. What begins as a precise scheme soon drags in relatives, neighbors, and a web of promises and old grievances. The pursuit of wealth collides with loyalties, forcing each player to weigh risk against family duty. The mood stays grave and restrained, with a sense that appearances hide sharper ambitions. As the plan hums along, motives blur and the line between right and wrong grows thinner. No big twists are revealed here, only the mounting tension and the uneasy cost of chasing what is owed. The film builds mood through quiet close ups, careful blocking, and a minimal score that underlines danger without shouting.

Directed by Francisco del Villar, the film is credited to screenwriters Luis Alcoriza and Fernando Galiana. Shot with a spare, atmospheric aesthetic, it sits within the late 1960s Mexican crime drama tradition, leaning toward character driven tension rather than spectacle, and it showcases solid performances from its cast.

Box office data for A Trap for a Corpse is not publicly documented, and there are no widely cited earnings figures from distributors or press at the time of release. The film remains a footnote in discussions of late 1960s Mexican cinema.

No major awards are documented for this film, making it a relatively obscure entry in official histories. Critics who later revisit the era often note the performances of Guillermo Murray and Rosa Maria Vazquez as a strong, grounded element, within a spare yet effective crime narrative.

The movie treats inheritance as a catalyst for conflict, stripping away pretenses and showing how greed can fracture kinship. It looks at trust, power, and the price of keeping or losing a fortune, all set against a restrained, almost documentary style. The tone stays sober and realist, with restrained dialogue and grounded performances that give the crime plot a sense of lived consequence. While not a blockbuster, the film offers a window into its era's concerns about family, legitimacy, and the darker side of ambition.