Jaume Balagueró ([REC]) is back with the crime thriller “The Vault”

Jaume Balagueró is one of those Spanish filmmakers that both can deliver an amazing hard to forget movie like Sleep Tight (aka Mientras duermes in original Spanish language) (2011) or his debut feature film The Nameless (1999), or really disappointing pieces like Fragile (2005) or his latest released work Muse (2017). But, still, he has deserved eternal attention for he was the creator, together with fellow filmmaker Paco Plaza, of what probably is the best Spanish movie of all times, [REC] (2007) and its follow-up [Rec]² (2009). Mostly working in the terrains of horror and psychological thrillers, his latest project is The Vault (2021), a crime thriller film in the old school ways.

With the original title Way Down, the movie centers on Thom, a genius engineering graduate who is interested in the Bank of Spain’s safe. The Bank building is more than 100 years old, with no building blueprints available and a security system that includes an underground river that will flood the safe room if their walls are breached. As soon as Thom learns that a legendary lost treasure is going to be held at the bank’s safe for just 10 days, he devises, together with charismatic art dealer Walter “Cunningham” a detailed plan to breaking in. They will only have 90 minutes to do so, while the Bank’s staff will be distracted, watching the 2010 Football World Cup final match, played by Spain’s national soccer team and broadcast on a giant screen, coincidentally placed just in front of the Bank of Spain building.

The screenplay for the movie has passed for a few hands before being complete. A group of international writers Rowan Athale (Outside the Wire (2021), Wasteland (2012)), Michel Gaztambide (No Rest for the Wicked (2011)), Borja Glez. Santaolalla ([REC] 3: Genesis (2012)), Andrés M. Koppel (Intacto (2001)), and Rafa Martínez (Sweet Home (2015)) has collaborated in the script.

The cast for the movie is formed by a group international stars. Famke Janssen (GoldenEye (1995), House on Haunted Hill (1999), X-Men (2000)), Freddie Highmore (nominated for 1 Golden Globe for The Good Doctor (2017)), Astrid Bergès-Frisbey (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), I Origins (2014)), Liam Cunningham (Dog Soldiers (2002), Game of Thrones (2011–2019)), Sam Riley (Byzantium (2012), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)), Luis Tosar (Miami Vice (2006), Celda 211 (2009)), Jose Coronado (The Invisible Guest (2016), The Body (2012)), Frank Feys (The Photographer of Mauthausen (2018), A Perfect Day (2015), and Emilio Gutiérrez Caba (La Comunidad (2000), Spy Time (2015)) are starring in The Vault (2021).

The movie is expected to be out sometime in 2021, but the official release date has not made public yet. Still, a first trailer has already seen the light. You can watch it here.