Poachers

The story unfolds in the woodlands around Segovia, centered on a rustic farmhouse where Ángel and his domineering mother Martina live. The dense forests and open hunting grounds define the setting, offering isolation that drives poaching and secret deals. This rural landscape is portrayed as both refuge and trap, shaping the characters’ choices and fates.

⚖️ Power & Control

A central tension is the push-and-pull of control between Ángel, his mother Martina, and the authorities represented by the Governor. Ángel’s illicit survival tactics clash with the law, yet the Governor’s outward charm masks a power dynamic that elevates Ángel to a sanctioned role as Forest Guard. Martina’s jealousy and manipulation intensify the power play, driving the plot toward tragedy. The film examines how authority, affection, and survival can corrupt and reshape moral boundaries.

🌲 Nature & Survival

The forest is both sanctuary and stage for deception, hunting, and escape. Poaching, deer, and the seasonal hunt anchor the action in a harsh natural world that tests the characters’ limits. Survival often requires bending or breaking rules, and the woods preserve secrets that threaten to explode into violence. The setting makes nature a character that influences fate as much as any human actor.

💔 Love & Jealousy

Milagros’s arrival intersects with Ángel’s loneliness and longing, spurring a dangerous bond built on secrecy. Martina’s jealousy drives a destructive course, revealing a corrosive mother-son dynamic that blurs boundaries. The romance and rivalry destabilize everyone, leading to decisions with irreversible consequences. The film uses intimate longing to expose the darker edges of possession and desperation.

🗡️ Violence & Morality

Violence threads through the narrative—from Martina’s brutal act against the trapped wolf to Ángel's eventual murder of his mother. The moral line between protector and predator becomes blurred as Ángel ascends to a formal role while still haunted by past acts. The film scrutinizes how violence can be both a means of survival and a catalyst for moral decline. Ultimately, the characters are weighed by the consequences of their aggressive choices.