La sartén por el mango

At a cramped apartment gathering, a group of men throw a bachelor party and hire several women for the night. What begins as noisy drinking and bravado turns uneasy when one of the women dies under unclear circumstances, and the guests' reactions reveal underlying anxieties, rivalries, and fragile egos. Tensions escalate as secrets, accusations, and uncomfortable truths come out, making the confined setting feel increasingly claustrophobic. The film concentrates on the men's behavior and the social dynamics triggered by the incident, showing how fear and shame surface amid attempts to keep up appearances. The mood is bleak yet mundane.

Released in 1972, La sartén por el mango was directed by Manuel Antín, with Javier Portales credited among its creators. The film features a compact, mostly theatrical cast and reflects early 1970s Argentine filmmaking styles and production values, and tone.

Box office details for La sartén por el mango are not widely documented, and contemporary records of its commercial run are scarce. It did not achieve international distribution, and available sources focus more on its performances than on ticket receipts.

Though relatively obscure outside Argentina, the film has attracted occasional attention from scholars and cinephiles interested in representations of masculinity and social anxiety in 1970s Latin American cinema. Its confined setting and tense social interplay have been cited in academic discussions, even if it never widely reached mainstream landmark status.

Contemporary responses were mixed, with some critics praising performances while others criticized its stagebound feel and slow pacing. Modern viewers note its unflinching look at male insecurity, power dynamics, and hypocrisy, and its sparse approach prompts debate about responsibility, guilt, and the social codes that shape behavior and moral consequences.