The Good Boss (2021)

Bardem excels as the slick but amoral factory boss whose unethical practices unravel amid a bid for a business award. The film is praised as a character-driven satire on hypocrisy, corruption and image management in contemporary Spain.

The critic praises the film's allegory of corporate equilibrium maintained through duplicity and Bardem's measured, authoritative performance as the charming yet ruthless boss. It sneaks up as a sharp satire on an entire civilization's complicity.

Bardem creates a complex portrait of a randy, imperious CEO in this droll satire; the film suggests there may not be much daylight between a good boss and a true villain. The obviousness of the premise works because the absurdity is the point.

The star delivers a masterclass in reptilian charm as the unscrupulous head of a provincial firm, but Fernando León de Aranoa’s tragicomedy can feel heavy-handed. An impressively slick and slimy performance from Javier Bardem is the standout selling point for this serviceable if workaday satire on corporate corruption.

The critic finds the corporate satire amusing but too long, languidly paced and lacking sharpness, with Bardem's magnetic, riveting performance as the blandly evil boss providing the main reason to watch.

Bardem delivers a committed lead performance in this light workplace comedy about a seemingly benevolent scales factory owner whose abuses of power catch up with him. The film is seen as undemanding and ultimately unmemorable fluff.

Bardem's mischievous turn anchors the slick social satire about a not-so-good boss obsessed with awards, but the film offers little substance beyond its star and obvious metaphors.

Bardem personifies corporate corruption as the patrician boss of an industrial scales firm whose fling with an intern threatens his pursuit of a business excellence award. The satire is slight, with overworked metaphors and uneven pacing, but Bardem nails the character's amorality.

Bardem dominates this slick comic morality tale about a provincial Spanish factory owner whose dysfunctional 'family' business unravels during a bid for an excellence award. The film is entertaining but feels comfortable and déjà vu, with a strong final scene hinting at greater depth.

A towering performance from Bardem anchors the film, which otherwise lacks a strong point of view. The satire on capitalism and the boss's smarmy charm are highlighted but not fully developed.

The critic finds it slickly entertaining but notes that the jokes tend to be too broad and the themes too tritely handled. Bardem delivers a strong turn in this dark workplace dramedy about a factory boss maintaining power through manipulation.

Bardem delivers prime material in a dark comedy about a manipulative boss using underhanded tactics for a business award, but the satire is deemed facile and not especially incisive.

There are seeds of greatness in this Spanish workplace satire, but the boss character is too bland to matter and dilutes the impact. The result is a perfectly acceptable wry-smile movie, nothing more.

The critic praises the film as a sly satire showcasing Javier Bardem's chilling performance as a manipulative, cruel factory owner who maintains a facade of benevolence. They single out Bardem's ability to shift from charming to ruthless as the standout element that elevates the entire movie.

The critic praises Bardem's riveting performance as the charming but manipulative factory owner who believes himself a benevolent patriarch. The film is highlighted for its dark comedy built on dramatic irony and the boss's self-delusion.

The critic finds Javier Bardem's central performance elevates the satire above the ordinary, balancing charm with ruthlessness. The film blends mainstream situational comedy with small-town satire but could have embraced its darker elements more fully.

The review finds the dark comedy effective thanks to Bardem's mesmerizing, underplayed turn as the self-satisfied boss, though it notes the script feels unsubtle and the film runs too long. Bardem's familiar, unsettling portrayal of everyday authority is singled out as the film's main strength.