Year: 2015
Runtime: 101 mins
Language: Spanish
Director: Dani de la Torre
While driving his children to school, banking executive Carlos receives a terrifying phone call: a bomb has been planted under his car, and he must quickly gather a substantial sum of money to prevent it from exploding. He finds himself in a desperate race against time, navigating dangerous situations and facing unknown adversaries as he struggles to protect his family.
Get a spoiler-free look at Retribution (2015) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.
In the quiet rhythm of a suburban morning, a successful banking executive finds his world narrowed to the metal frame of his family car. The routine of dropping off his children feels ordinary until an unseen voice shatters the calm, delivering a chilling warning that a bomb lies hidden beneath the vehicle. The threat forces him into an impossible dilemma: safeguard his loved ones while scrambling to meet a massive, time‑pressed financial demand.
Carlos is thrust into a high‑stakes cat‑and‑mouse game that turns a simple school run into a relentless test of wits and will. The tension is amplified by the urban landscape that suddenly feels hostile, where every stoplight and crossroads could become a trap. The tone is taut and breathless, blending the mundane details of daily life with the palpable dread of an unseen enemy, creating a cinematic pressure cooker that never lets the audience relax.
Against this backdrop, the relationships at the heart of the story come into sharp focus. Marta, his supportive yet increasingly anxious partner, becomes an essential ally as she navigates the financial labyrinth to comply with the extortionist’s demands. Their children, Marcos and Sara, embody innocence caught in the crossfire, their presence magnifying the protagonist’s desperation and the stakes of every decision. The film balances the frantic urgency of the crisis with quieter moments that reveal the family’s bonds and the protagonist’s internal struggle between duty, fear, and love.
The film’s style leans into tight, kinetic pacing, using claustrophobic close‑ups inside the car and sweeping city shots to heighten the sense of being watched and pursued. It invites viewers to wonder how far a determined father will go when every second counts, and whether the forces that bind a family can survive under the weight of an unseen, ticking menace.
Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 16:56
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Characters trapped in a confined space with an imminent, life-threatening danger.Explore movies similar to Retribution, where characters are confined with a deadly threat. These high-tension stories, like Phone Booth or Buried, create an immersive, claustrophobic experience perfect for fans of real-time danger and survival against the clock.
These narratives typically unfold in real-time or over a compressed timeframe, centered on a protagonist forced to react to a direct threat from a hidden antagonist. The plot is linear and driven by a series of escalating demands or challenges, testing the character's ingenuity and will to live under extreme pressure.
This group shares a core structure of confinement and immediate peril, resulting in a consistently fast pace, high intensity, and a tense, anxious mood. They are united by the visceral experience of being trapped and the desperate fight for survival.
Everyday individuals pushed to their absolute limits by sudden, violent circumstances.Find more movies like Retribution where ordinary people face extreme danger. These high-stakes dramas focus on parental sacrifice and survival, delivering heavy emotional weight and tense, gripping narratives for fans of desperate family-in-peril stories.
The narrative follows a character arc from normalcy to desperation, as a protagonist discovers hidden reserves of courage and ruthlessness to protect what they love. The journey is physically grueling and emotionally devastating, typically concluding with a pyrrhic victory where survival comes at a great personal cost.
These films are grouped by their central theme of an average person confronting overwhelming odds. They share a heavy emotional weight, a focus on familial bonds under threat, and a tone that balances intense action with deep character drama.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Retribution in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Retribution is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Read a complete plot summary of Retribution, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.
Track the full timeline of Retribution with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Retribution. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
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