Something disrupts the already usual morning hustle and bustle of Gran Vía in Madrid. An armored van, tinted and shiny black windows, waits at the doors of the Metrópolis building, at the intersection of this artery with Alcalá street. And in front of it, despite the inclement weather, several dozen people, notebook, poster, or funko in hand, await the arrival. It's not like God is going to descend the stairs, get into the vehicle, and sign autographs for his followers. But, to the category of deity, that is what the attendees have elevated Chris Hemsworth (Melbourne, 1983) to.
A few minutes later, the actor will appear. But he will do so in one of the lounges of the exclusive social club hotel - still to be opened to the public - alongside filmmaker Bart Layton. The contrast between the two creators, one behind and the other in front of the cameras, of the action thriller Extraction, which premieres on February 13 in theaters, is curious. Layton speaks a near-perfect Spanish from his childhood summers in Almería, is lean with wavy hair, and his voice sounds high-pitched. Chris Hemsworth barely says three yeses in Spanish despite his marriage to Elsa Pataky, exudes with his muscles in the chair, and speaks with a deep voice in each response.
And, once seated at the table, they begin to unravel the intricacies of the umpteenth immersion of the Australian, the God Thor for most humans - remember those at the door - in the action film. But this time something has changed. There are still chases, shootings, and intrigue, but Davis, the jewel thief played by Hemsworth, is more restrained and has moral principles to hold onto. He steals jewels, yes, but without violence.
"Understanding the path someone has walked helps you feel compassion for their actions, regardless of whether they were morally correct or not," explains the actor, using as an example a friend who was a member of the biker gang and criminal organization, the Hells Angels of Los Angeles. "He was the youngest sergeant-at-arms of the Hells Angels in Los Angeles and came from a home with an abusive father. He sought brotherhood, family connections, and that's why he joined. Here we see criminals in positions of power who are supposed to defend the good and people with a moral code in the criminal world. That complexity and ambiguity is life."
There is something in that search for connections that also defines his character and has resonated within himself. "What attracted me was how human he was. This guy had doubts, self-criticism, fear, anxiety. All the human emotions that we don't see in the operating system of the supposed criminal. That's how you start to explore those emotions within yourself and manipulate your own fears and desires. I enjoy that crossing of the character, there is something strangely therapeutic about stepping into someone else's shoes and inhabiting another space. You look at the world through a different lens, it makes you look back and at yourself."
Does this imply that Chris Hemsworth will leave tough guy roles to move towards other places? "I don't regret the roles I've done, but I want to make movies that continue to challenge me, that are complex and different. My appetite for cinema changes day by day depending on my mood. At one moment, I feel like a big action movie with popcorn, and the next moment, I feel like a dark and tragic independent film. And I love it all, I think that's the joy of being able to dance in all places if someone allows you to," emphasizes the actor who now arrives in theaters loaded with action.
This leap to theaters is not insignificant, in a context of absolute crisis for these spaces and in the midst of Warner Bros' purchase process by Netflix that has shaken Hollywood. Layton dives in first: "Covid accelerated something that was probably going to happen, home cinema, Netflix... all of that. Now there is a feeling that if you go to the movies, it should be like an event, but I think it's easy to forget that in the movies, you experience a more intense emotional experience. I hope it's not just about events, there have been plenty of movies that have reminded people of that." And Hemsworth continues: "The event should be going to the movies, getting up from the couch, gathering the family, buying popcorn and drinks, etc. We have been conditioned to that kind of instant gratification in movies because our attention span has been greatly reduced, especially among the younger generation with so many competing media and attractions. Different studios have algorithms that tell them 'Oh, in the first seven minutes, there has to be some kind of action or big event.' That approach to making a movie is terrifying."
Extraction also connects with the social reality that the United States is currently experiencing. In one of its scenes, a jewelry store robber in Santa Barbara, who did not draw his weapon, is shot by a police officer without warning, and the officer places a gun on him to justify the shooting in the report. And the image directly transports the viewer to the events that have been seen in the last days with ICE, Donald Trump's anti-immigration forces, in the state of Minnesota. "The excessive use of force is something horrible. This movie was made long before those events, but that kind of behavior already existed. The abuse of power has always existed throughout history, and it is something we constantly try to reconcile with. You know, my fundamental moral values versus your fundamental moral values. Is that a fact and a truth, or is it just a perspective and an opinion? The complexity of all that is overwhelming. We have a challenge with divisive discourses, categorizing things, and oversimplifying very complex issues. I think we need to have a little more patience, a slightly broader view of things, and, in some way, be a little kinder to each other," explains Hemsworth, who, after that reflection as a conclusion, gets up to continue with the promotional day.
And, at the doors of the Metropolis building, there are no longer worshippers.