The Nest

The Nest

Year: 1980

Runtime: 97 mins

Language: Spanish

Director: Jaime de Armiñán

Drama

In a small town near Salamanca, 60‑year‑old Alejandro, a wealthy widower who spends his days playing music, chess and tending his shotgun, becomes fascinated by Gregoria – “Goyita” – a precocious 13‑year‑old budding naturalist, the daughter of a timid policeman and his domineering wife. Despite village gossip, Alejandro takes Goyita on walks, horseback rides and dinners, feeling revived for the first time. As Goyita’s expectations grow, he must confront his own morals and the intensely charged yet platonic bond forming between them.

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Timeline & Setting – The Nest (1980)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Nest (1980). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Contemporary

The action unfolds in a present-day setting, with references to modern institutions like MIT and a biotech corporation. The town’s routines—air travel, a diner, a library, and a lighthouse—ground the story in a recognizable late-20th to early-21st century backdrop.

Location

North Port

North Port is a small island town whose everyday rhythms hinge on a library, a diner, and a lighthouse. The community is suddenly terrorized by a cockroach infestation that destabilizes local life and infrastructure. As the crisis intensifies, the cave and facilities linked to INTEC become focal points of the outbreak.

🏝️ Island town 🪲 Insect threat 🧬 Genetic experimentation

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:42

Main Characters – The Nest (1980)

Meet the key characters of The Nest (1980), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Richard Tarbell (Sheriff)

The stubborn, principled sheriff who pursues truth about the roach threat and ultimately clashes with town leadership to protect North Port.

🧭 Authority 🕵️‍♂️ Determination ⚖️ Responsibility

Elizabeth Johnson

Mayor Elias Johnson's daughter and Richard's former girlfriend; bold, curious, and central to uncovering INTEC's role in the outbreak.

🧭 Key figure 🎭 Relationship 🧬 Curiosity

Dr. Morgan Hubbard

Scientist investigating the cockroach outbreak; formerly tied to MIT genetics, she reveals dangerous experiments and the potential for engineered mutations.

🧬 Scientist 🧪 Geneticist ⚠️ Ambition

Homer

Local pest-control agent trying to exterminate the roaches; pragmatic and loyal, he aids Richard and Hubbard as the crisis unfolds.

🧰 Local 🧭 Loyal 🧪 Reckless

Lillian

Diner owner and Richard's girlfriend; supportive but vulnerable as the outbreak spirals.

🍽️ Diner 🎭 Relationship 🧭 Key player

Millie

Richard's secretary who uncovers Hubbard's MIT background; she becomes a casualty of the outbreak.

💼 Secretary 🔎 Informant ⚠️ Danger

Mr. Hauser

INTEC representative pressuring action to control the roaches; embodies corporate power behind the crisis.

🏢 Corporate 🧪 Scientist ⚖️ Power

Elias Johnson

Mayor of North Port and Elizabeth's father; instrumental in the INTEC deal and the town's political response.

🏛️ Mayor 🧪 Corporate collusion ⚖️ Ethics

Mrs. Pennington

Librarian whose bindings are damaged by the vortex of events; a quiet witness to the town's record and history.

📚 Librarian 🧭 Community ⚠️ Victim

Church

Diner employee caught in the escalation and among the casualties as the outbreak intensifies.

🍽️ Diner employee ⚠️ Casualty 🧭 Community

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:42

Major Themes – The Nest (1980)

Explore the central themes of The Nest (1980), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧬 Genetic Engineering

The plot centers on a biotech experiment gone wrong, with INTEC designing cockroaches that mutate and threaten the town. Questions of ethics, secrecy, and corporate responsibility loom as Hubbard's past and the island's fate collide. The narrative uses the outbreak to explore how scientific ambition can outpace safeguards.

🪲 Insect Invasion

A relentless roach outbreak spreads, reproducing asexually and mutating to overcome poisons. Eggs hatch resistance, and human-cockroach hybrids emerge in the escalating conflict. The invasion reshapes how residents move through ordinary spaces—homes, library, diner—and tests their resilience.

🏝️ Island Crisis

The island's fate becomes a political and logistical crisis as evacuation options clash with containment measures. The lighthouse beam becomes a critical signal preventing a deadly spray, illustrating how civic decisions can alter a community's survival. The outbreak exposes the fragility of small-town life under corporate oversight.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:42

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Explore Movie Threads

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.

Movies with unconventional friendships like The Nest

Intense, morally complex relationships that defy social expectations and age gaps.If you were captivated by the complex relationship in The Nest, explore other movies like it that feature intense, platonic bonds across generations. These similar drama stories delve into morally ambiguous connections that challenge small-town conventions and explore deep emotional needs.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives typically unfold as an isolated, often older individual forms a profound connection with a younger person, offering them guidance or escape. The relationship becomes a source of renewal for one and a catalyst for premature growth in the other, inevitably drawing outside scrutiny. The central conflict arises from the collision of this private bond with public morality, leading to a crisis that tests the characters' integrity and the sustainability of their unique world.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the emotional dynamics of non-romantic, cross-generational relationships. They share a tone of profound melancholy and tension, a steady, character-driven pacing, and a heavy emotional weight stemming from the exploration of loneliness, societal pressure, and the bittersweet nature of connection.

Claustrophobic small-town dramas like The Nest

Stories where a tight-knit community breeds tension, suspicion, and dark revelations.Discover more movies like The Nest that capture the tense, oppressive atmosphere of small-town life. These similar drama stories explore how close-knit communities breed gossip, judgment, and a sense of inescapable dread when characters defy social norms.

claustrophobicanxiousominousgloomyparanoidoppressivegossip-driven

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves an outsider or a transgressive act within a seemingly peaceful community. The setting itself acts as an antagonist, with social pressure and watchful eyes creating a cage for the characters. The story builds as a secret is nurtured, leading to an escalation of tension that culminates in a public crisis or a private moral collapse, often leaving a stain on the community's facade.

Why These Movies?

These movies are united by their use of a small-town setting to generate a specific mood of claustrophobia and anxiety. They share a dark or tense tone, a deliberate pacing that allows unease to build, and a moderate to high intensity derived from the psychological pressure of social judgment and the threat of exposure.

Unlock the Full Story of The Nest

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Nest 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 The Nest is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Nest Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Nest, 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.

The Nest Summary

The Nest Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Nest with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Nest Timeline

The Nest Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Nest Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Nest

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Nest: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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