No Rest for the Wicked

No Rest for the Wicked

Year: 2011

Runtime: 114 mins

Language: Spanish

Director: Enrique Urbizu

Thriller

In early‑20th‑century Madrid, drunk police inspector Santos Trinidad returns home to discover he has been implicated in a triple homicide. A surviving witness could expose him, so Santos hunts the witness while Judge Chacón, tasked with the case, follows the murder trail. Both men soon realize the crime is not simple drug trafficking but a far more dangerous conspiracy.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – No Rest for the Wicked (2011)

Trace every key event in No Rest for the Wicked (2011) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Bar brawl and the first body count

Trinidad is thrown out of a bar and presses for one more round in a closed establishment. The bar manager tries to diffuse the scene with a free drink, but Trinidad's trained instincts take over; he shatters the manager's nose and a bouncer fires a pistol, fatally shooting both men. He cleans up the scene, an eyewitness escapes, and he erases the victims' papers from their wallets to bury the trail.

Late night Bar (closed establishment)
2

Investigation opens with scarce leads

Chacón and Leiva take up the case, but the absence of identifiable victims stalls progress and casts doubt on the initial lead of a gangland hit. They lean on police resources to pull the witness's license-plate history, while Trinidad doubles down inside the deceased witness's apartment and car. The lack of solid identification makes the early days feel murky and uncertain.

Following the bar incident Police precinct / crime scenes
3

Tracking via GPS and surveillance

Trinidad seizes the witness's GPS device to map shared locations and mask his own movements. Yet a surveillance camera captures his hidden maneuvers, revealing the steps he takes to stay hidden. The tension between covertness and exposure marks the night as a cat-and-mouse game.

Night Witness's apartment and car
4

Subway chase turns deadly

The chase grows into a tense subway pursuit as Trinidad tries to finish the witness. He is stabbed by an accomplice summoned by the witness, shifting the balance of the hunt in a brutal turn. The city becomes a backdrop to a violent confrontation in transit.

Night Madrid subway
5

Cartel ties redirect the investigation

As clues emerge, the dead's ties to Colombian drug cartels push the case toward a key informant. The investigators sense a broader network at play and begin to map out possible connections that extend beyond street-level crime. The frame broadens from a single killer to a wider criminal web.

Night Madrid
6

Rachid is cornered and explains the shifting threat

Chacón corners Rachid through anti-terrorism contacts, tightening the net around potential suspects. Rachid explains that his former associates have shifted from drugs to Islamist militancy, but he has lost track of their exact location. The confession narrows the focus to a more dangerous operational threat.

Night Rachid's location / anti-terrorism network
7

Surveillance tests and a near miss

Chacón questions Trinidad after spotting him leaving the witness's apartment complex on surveillance. Without solid evidence, she lets him go free, underscoring the fragile line between pursuit and accusation. The moment underscores the cost of imperfect intelligence.

Night Witness apartment complex
8

Pressure closes in on the informer

Trinidad applies pressure on Rachid's ex-girlfriend to locate him, tightening the noose around the informer. Rachid leads them through Madrid in pursuit of the Islamist cell connected to the witness. The city becomes a corridor for the hunt.

Night Madrid streets
9

The mall bomb plot is set in motion

The Islamist cell orchestrates a deadly plan, arming a Madrid shopping mall with bombs disguised as fire extinguishers. The tension builds as the countdown to potential disaster tightens the clock. The city edges closer to a catastrophe framed by everyday life.

Night Madrid shopping mall
10

The confrontation at the cell's HQ

Trinidad arrives at the cell's secret headquarters just as the devices are placed. He eliminates the terrorists, including the witness, before they can trigger the detonation. The victory is costly, as the night's violence exacts its price on him.

Night Secret headquarters near Madrid
11

A fatal price for a hard-won triumph

Trinidad pays for his triumph with a fatal stab wound, collapsing at the scene he helped to secure. Chacón and Leiva arrive after his death, bearing the weight of the consequences. The personal cost of crossing lines becomes a crushing aftertaste of the night.

Night Mall / confrontation scene
12

Ending: crowds unaware of the threat still active

The film closes on a somber note: crowds move through the mall unaware that the bombs remain active. The investigation leaves unanswered questions and a sense of unresolved danger. The state of vigilance and the cost of justice linger as the credits roll.

End of night Madrid shopping mall

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:47

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Characters, Settings & Themes in No Rest for the Wicked

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