The Realm (film)

Without higher education, Manuel has worked his way up in local politics to the point where he may be the next head of the regional council. As Spain has been developing rapidly, attracting foreign investors and substantial funds from the European Union, local politicians have been systematically enriching themselves, some buying ostentatious yachts while others hide their cash in Andorra. The party bosses in Madrid decide that the corruption in the region must be rooted out before the party is discredited nationally.

After refusing to disappear abroad quietly, Manuel is made one of the fall guys, arrested and charged. On bail awaiting trial, he starts a personal campaign to expose the big names who are still free and promises Amaia, a leading TV journalist, that he will get her evidence on the real criminals. Learning that one of the kingpins is not at his villa in Andorra, he goes there at night and persuades the man's daughter to let him in, saying he has to collect vital documents for her father. Finding four handwritten notebooks that mention everybody in the racket, himself included, he races back towards Madrid in the dark.

Shadowed by a vehicle without lights that follows his taillights, he also switches off his lights off and then crashes, ending upside down in a field. When the shadower comes to look for him, he knocks him out and, taking the man's keys, drives his assailant's car on to Madrid. Amaia puts him straight on to her live show, with his notebooks, but has no intention of accusing anybody without adequate proof or of prejudicing future trials. Instead of exploring his allegations, she attacks him for being a self-seeking cog in a vicious machine who is now trying to save his skin by informing on others. His crusade for the truth collapsing, for once he is left speechless.^[3][4]

The film was produced by Tornasol, Trianera PC AIE, Atresmedia Cine and Bowfinger alongside Le Pacte and Mondex & Cie with the participation of Atresmedia and Movistar+.^[4]

Shooting primarily took place in Valencia.^[3]

It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.^[9]

Distributed by Warner Bros,^[4] it was theatrically released in Spain on 28 September 2018.^[3]

• List of Spanish films of 2018