A few months ago, The Good Daughter by Júlia de Paz Solvas opened in Spain, and at the 74th edition of the San Sebastián Film Festival, in the New Directors section, audiences have been able to see The Bad Son, the directorial debut by actor Jaime Lorente. Now, it’s time to turn our attention to a movie in the official competition section, directed by Roberto Bueso (Love Beats, Full of Grace), titled El mal padre. All of these features dissect family relationships that are conflict-ridden, deficient, tense and, to varying extents, traumatic.

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Written by Bueso himself and Óscar Díaz Cruz, El mal padre brings together a father, Santiago (played by Eduard Fernández), who is remarried to Diana (Cristina Plazas), with whom he has a daughter, and his first three offspring, by another mother: Damián, the eldest (Francesco Carril), a perpetually up-and-coming actor and a gay man; Clara (Meritxell Calvo), who is cold, prickly and not inclined to forgive her dad’s mistakes; and Alberto (Adam Jezierski), the youngest, a teacher following in his father’s footsteps who is expecting a child with his partner, Irene (María Maroto).

What was initially meant to be a brief get-together gets stretched out when Santiago invites his three eldest children to spend Christmas together in the house where they lived with their late mother. But these days won’t be filled with peace, carols and harmony, as it's not only heated words that bubble up to the surface, but also festering memories, shortcomings and reproaches. Which is the case in almost every family at this time of year…

That’s precisely what Bueso does: drawing on perfectly recognisable characters and dialogue that's both quick-witted and engaging, he reflects domestic dynamics that have been damaged by a father who failed to measure up, and who put his professional aspirations ahead of caring for and loving his brood. It’s a common trait among the patriarchs of the past few decades, who have been socially and educationally compelled to act as captains, heroes and productive humans, embodying a brand of masculinity impervious to feelings and emotions, with silence weighing more in their lives than dialogue, empathy or unguarded affection.

In this way, the film – a dramedy that raises the odd smile and never lapses into sentimentality thanks to its intelligent use of ellipses – gradually brings to the fore other issues troubling the youngest son (played with admirable restraint by Jezierski), such as his impending fatherhood. Indeed, it's something no university can prepare you for, and this is especially the case here, with no admirable role models for him close at hand. But what terrifies him even more is the prospect of ending up resembling his dear old father a little too much.

Thus, without any overembellishment and with a sober, simple and at times somewhat precious mise-en-scène – which may bring to mind the cinema of Cesc Gay – El mal padre gradually becomes increasingly moving, as viewers find echoes of their own lives in what they see unfolding before them: a family portrait that’s not especially original, where reconciliation is both an attempt and a possibility. And that's something that doesn’t always happen in real life.

El mal padre was produced by MOD Producciones, MOD Pictures, Misent Producciones and Atresmedia Cine. Its international sales are handled by Film Factory, and it will reach Spanish cinemas on 20 November, distributed by Caramel Films.