The Motive (film)

The Motive is a 2017 Spanish-Mexican drama film directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca, from a screenplay by Alejandro Hernández and Martín Cuenca. It stars Javier Gutiérrez alongside María León and Antonio de la Torre.
The film premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.

Plot

Álvaro separates from his wife Amanda, an elated best-seller writer, and motivated by her success, makes up his mind to write a great novel. Problem is, he lacks talent and imagination. He figures out that great fiction is drawn from reality, and he begins to manipulate his neighbors and to get involved in their lives in order to find inspiration for his writing.

Reception

Critical reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 60%, based on 20 reviews, and an average rating of 6.8/10.

Trivia

Some of the "penguins scene" from Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World is featured in the first scene.