The Bad Father (Spanish: El mal padre) is a 2026 Spanish comedy-drama film directed by Roberto Bueso, co-written with Óscar Díaz Cruz. It stars Eduard Fernández alongside Adam Jezierski, Francesco Carril, and Meritxell Calvo.
Renowned writer and scholar Santiago Balmes reunites with his three children, long estranged from him after he left the family for a woman. He proposes them spending Christmas together in the old summer house, proving to be an opportunity to face past rifts.
The film was produced by MOD Producciones, MOD Pictures, Misent Producciones and Atresmedia Cine, with the participation of Atresmedia, Netflix, and À Punt. It was entirely shot in the Valencia Region. It had a reported budget of €2.7 million.
Release
The Bad Father was presented at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival on 22 September 2026, in competition for the Golden Shell. Distributed by Caramel Films, it is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 20 November 2026.
Reception
Alfonso Rivera of Cineuropa described the film as "a dramedy that raises the odd smile and never lapses into sentimentality thanks to its intelligent use of ellipses".
Matthew Joseph Jenner of International Cinephile Society rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing that, while "more conventional" than it could have been, "it is a moving comedy about life, death and the many peculiarities in between".
Ricardo Rosado of Fotogramas rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, extolling a colossal Fernández, equal parts "terrifying and magnetic" as the best thing about the film.
