Intacto (2001)

Individuals blessed with exceptional luck are pitted against one another in contests of chance in Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s feature debut Intacto (2001), a wildly acclaimed cult thriller. A sole earthquake survivor (Eusebio Poncela) and a man who walked away from a plane crash (Leonardo Sbaraglia) prepare for a showdown with Samuel Berg (Max von Sydow), a famously lucky Holocaust survivor. The men agree to rounds of Russian roulette with live ammunition, bent on determining which of them is truly the most fortunate. Fresnadillo’s film is at once an intelligent meditation on chance and destiny and a showcase for his talented cast. Unfortunately the director’s less interested in titillation, with a bruised and battered Mónica López representing the only instance of visible female flesh.