The Bad Son (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

The Bad Son follows eleven-year-old Rubén after his father disappears and he moves in with a grandmother he barely knows. Set in rural Spain, this Spanish-language drama examines inherited family wounds, emotional distance and one boy’s effort to understand his past and break a damaging cycle.

The Bad Son is a Spanish drama about childhood, family history and the emotional burdens passed between generations. Its story begins when Rubén, an eleven-year-old boy living in a rural area with his father, is forced into an unfamiliar new home after his father disappears.

Directed by Jaime Lorente, the film follows Rubén’s changing relationship with his grandmother and his gradual attempt to understand the legacy he has inherited. The film is based on a novel or book and is produced by AF Films.

The Bad Son movie details

Story without spoilers

Rubén’s life changes abruptly when his father disappears. He then moves in with his grandmother, La Pascuala, a woman he barely knows. Their uneasy coexistence unfolds in a rural setting where the passage of time feels suspended and family history remains close to the surface.

As Rubén grows older, he begins to confront the wounds that have shaped his family across generations. The story centers on his effort to make sense of that emotional inheritance and find a way to stop it from defining his future.

What to expect

The Bad Son is presented as a character-focused drama built around family conflict, intergenerational pain and the experience of growing up with unresolved questions. The rural setting and the relationship between Rubén and his grandmother form the foundation of the story.

The film spans different stages of Rubén’s life, with Abel de la Fuente playing Rubén as a child and Hugo Arbues portraying him as an adult. Its premise suggests a serious, intimate examination of how family wounds can be inherited—and how confronting the past may create the possibility of change.

Cast and creative team

Susi Sánchez plays La Pascuala, Rubén’s grandmother, while Miguel Ángel Puro appears as Rubén’s father. Abel de la Fuente portrays Rubén as a child, and Hugo Arbues plays Rubén adulto. The supporting cast includes Óscar de la Fuente as Tio Juanji, Cristóbal Pinto as Tío Agustín, Félix Arráez as Rodri, Sara Ruíz Ferrer as Tía Nerea, Paula Quintana as Tia Pilar and Antonia Torero as Faustina.

Jaime Lorente directs the film and shares writing credit with Salvador S. Molina. The production is based on a novel or book.

• Susi Sánchez as La Pascuala
• Miguel Ángel Puro as Padre de Rubén
• Hugo Arbues as Rubén adulto
• Óscar de la Fuente as Tio Juanji
• Abel de la Fuente as Rubén niño
• Cristóbal Pinto as Tío Agustín
• Félix Arráez as Rodri
• Sara Ruíz Ferrer as Tía Nerea
• Paula Quintana as Tia Pilar
• Antonia Torero as Faustina

Release and production context

The Bad Son is a 2026 Spanish production from AF Films. It is in Spanish, runs for 1 hour and 46 minutes, and is classified as a drama. The supplied release date is October 16, 2026. The film is listed as released in the supplied metadata.

Production companies: AF Films

Movies Dock view

With its rural setting, multigenerational family story and focus on Rubén’s development from childhood into adulthood, The Bad Son is framed as a reflective Spanish drama about inherited pain and personal responsibility. Its central question is whether understanding where emotional wounds come from can help someone choose not to pass them on.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb