“A company is like a family.”
synopsis
Julio Blanco, the charming owner of a small factory that manufactures industrial scales, prides himself on maintaining the image of a benevolent employer. As his company prepares for an important business award, Blanco attempts to solve a series of employee problems that threaten the company’s reputation. His meddling, however, gradually exposes hypocrisy, manipulation, and the darker side of workplace loyalty.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
Javier Bardem delivers a terrific performance as a boss who believes himself to be fair, generous, and fatherly—while quietly manipulating everyone around him. The film plays as a sly workplace satire, revealing how easily good intentions become self-serving rationalizations. Beneath the humor lies a sharp critique of power and the way leaders justify questionable actions in the name of maintaining order.
A relaxed evening and a bit of workplace empathy—especially if you’ve ever worked for someone who insisted the office was “like a family.”
Absurdist's Corner
Blanco believes he’s the model employer while quietly meddling in employees’ personal lives, romances, and conflicts—proving that sometimes the most dangerous bosses are the ones convinced they’re helping.
fun facts
Javier Bardem won the Goya Award (Spain’s equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Actor for this role.
The film swept the 2022 Goya Awards, winning multiple major categories including Best Film.
The factory’s product—industrial scales—serves as a metaphor for moral balance and imbalance.
Director Fernando León de Aranoa previously collaborated with Bardem on Mondays in the Sun.