Hidden Pleasures

Eduardo is a well-off bank manager in his forties who presents a refined, sophisticated image while concealing his sexuality. He keeps his sexual life a secret, but he uses his social and economic position to attract young men. His double life creates a hollow surface behind which his loneliness fester.

In one of his regular cruising sessions in the University area, Eduardo meets Miguel, an attractive young man from a humble background, and he falls in love with him. Miguel is initially just another face in the crowd, but Eduardo's feelings pull him into a tangled dynamic.

Through Nes, a gay man who lives in Miguel's neighborhood, Eduardo finds out Miguel's address and offers him a job in the company run by his friend Raul. Raul and Eduardo had a relationship in the past, and Raul is still secretly in love with Eduardo.

Eduardo takes Miguel to his apartment every afternoon under the pretext of helping him type a book, cultivating his friendship. To win Miguel's confidence, Eduardo buys him a motorcycle. Miguel is heterosexual, with a steady girlfriend, Carmen, and he also has an affair with Rosa, an older married neighbor.

Miguel maintains a relationship with his girlfriend Carmen and also has an ongoing affair with Rosa. The complexity of his loves adds tension to Eduardo's hopes and to the trio's dynamic.

When Eduardo finally confesses his feelings, Miguel rejects him. The rejection confirms that there won't be a romance, and Eduardo steps back from pursuing him.

Eduardo returns to his solitary life, seeking fleeting pleasures with young men in cruising spots such as cinemas, parks, and public toilets. He also rejects his friend Raul's offer to join the emerging gay movement.

Eduardo's elderly mother becomes terminally ill and, on her deathbed, confesses that she had known he was gay since he was a teenager. She urges him not to be alone.

In one of his park cruising episodes, Nes and members of his gang go to Eduardo's apartment to rob him and beat him. When Miguel learns what happened, he beats Nes in revenge. This act rekindles the bond between Eduardo and Miguel.

Eduardo and Miguel resume their friendship, accepting each other and recognizing that Miguel is straight. Miguel introduces his girlfriend Carmen to Eduardo, and the trio forms a close, family-like bond that eases Eduardo's loneliness.

Rosa reappears, angry because she was jilted by Miguel, and begins to spread rumors that Miguel is gay. She also talks to Carmen's father, leading him to forbid Carmen from seeing Miguel.

Miguel becomes very upset about losing Carmen and blames Eduardo's closeness for it. He goes to the bank where Eduardo works and makes a terrible scene, shouting and publicly revealing Eduardo's homosexuality to everyone.

In the film's last moment, Eduardo is alone in his apartment when the doorbell rings. He looks through the peephole and his face lights up with joy at the prospect of a visitor, though the identity is never shown.