Spanish films · the top 40

The 40 most-looked-up Spanish films and where they are set

Spanish productions in Spanish, Catalan, Basque or Galician (two exceptions: Viridiana, As bestas), ranked by Spanish Wikipedia pageviews from August 2021 to July 2026. Places are where the story is set, not where it was filmed.

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Map: The 40 most-looked-up Spanish films and where they are set, ranked by Spanish Wikipedia pageviews, August 2021 – July 2026. A named town is a pin; an area the story is set in, where it names no town, is shaded; a film set wholly abroad has no pin. 1. La sociedad de la nieve (2023): outside Spain. 2. Tres metros sobre el cielo (2010): no town named. 3. A través de mi ventana (2022): Barcelona. 4. El laberinto del fauno (2006): a rural military outpost, no town named. 5. La piel que habito (2011): Toledo; a village, Galicia. 6. Culpa mía (2023): no town named. 7. Padre no hay más que uno (2019): no town named. 8. As bestas (2022): a village, Galicia. 9. REC (2007): Barcelona. 10. El orfanato (2007): a seaside orphanage, no town named. 11. El hoyo (2019): a fictional prison, nowhere real. 12. Torrente, el brazo tonto de la ley (1998): Madrid. 13. Todo sobre mi madre (1999): Barcelona; Madrid. 14. Tengo ganas de ti (2012): Barcelona. 15. Mar adentro (2004): the coast, Galicia. 16. Sirāt (2025): outside Spain. 17. Campeones (2018): Madrid; the final, Canary Islands. 18. Los renglones torcidos de Dios (2022): a psychiatric hospital, no town named. 19. Los santos inocentes (1984): an estate, Extremadura. 20. El 47 (2024): Barcelona. 21. La lengua de las mariposas (1999): a village, Galicia. 22. Marcelino, pan y vino (1955): a rural monastery, no town named. 23. La infiltrada (2024): San Sebastián. 24. Madres paralelas (2021): Madrid. 25. Mientras dure la guerra (2019): Salamanca; + abroad. 26. Volver (2006): Madrid; fictional Alcanfor de las Infantas, Castilla-La Mancha. 27. Tesis (1996): Madrid. 28. Viridiana (1961): a country estate, no town named. 29. Abre los ojos (1997): Madrid. 30. Ocho apellidos vascos (2014): fictional Argoitia, Basque Country; Seville. 31. Dolor y gloria (2019): Madrid; Paterna. 32. Verónica (2017): Madrid. 33. Torrente, presidente (2026): no town named. 34. Amanece, que no es poco (1989): an unnamed village, Albacete. 35. Hable con ella (2002): no town named. 36. Belle Époque (1992): a country village, no town named. 37. Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988): Madrid. 38. Los domingos (2025): Basque Country. 39. Contratiempo (2016): Barcelona. 40. Toc Toc (2017): a psychiatrist's waiting room, no town named.
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The films behind the map

37 of the 40 are set wholly or partly in Spain. “Outside Spain” marks a film set wholly abroad; “+ abroad”, one largely set elsewhere.

  1. La sociedad de la nieve 2023outside SpainIMDb
  2. Tres metros sobre el cielo 2010no town namedIMDb
  3. A través de mi ventana 2022BarcelonaIMDb
  4. El laberinto del fauno 2006a rural military outpost, no town namedIMDb
  5. La piel que habito 2011Toledo; a village, GaliciaIMDb
  6. Culpa mía 2023no town namedIMDb
  7. Padre no hay más que uno 2019no town namedIMDb
  8. As bestas 2022a village, GaliciaIMDb
  9. REC 2007BarcelonaIMDb
  10. El orfanato 2007a seaside orphanage, no town namedIMDb
  11. El hoyo 2019a fictional prison, nowhere realIMDb
  12. Torrente, el brazo tonto de la ley 1998MadridIMDb
  13. Todo sobre mi madre 1999Barcelona; MadridIMDb
  14. Tengo ganas de ti 2012BarcelonaIMDb
  15. Mar adentro 2004the coast, GaliciaIMDb
  16. Sirāt 2025outside SpainIMDb
  17. Campeones 2018Madrid; the final, Canary IslandsIMDb
  18. Los renglones torcidos de Dios 2022a psychiatric hospital, no town namedIMDb
  19. Los santos inocentes 1984an estate, ExtremaduraIMDb
  20. El 47 2024BarcelonaIMDb
  21. La lengua de las mariposas 1999a village, GaliciaIMDb
  22. Marcelino, pan y vino 1955a rural monastery, no town namedIMDb
  23. La infiltrada 2024San SebastiánIMDb
  24. Madres paralelas 2021MadridIMDb
  25. Mientras dure la guerra 2019Salamanca + abroadIMDb
  26. Volver 2006Madrid; fictional Alcanfor de las Infantas, Castilla-La ManchaIMDb
  27. Tesis 1996MadridIMDb
  28. Viridiana 1961a country estate, no town namedIMDb
  29. Abre los ojos 1997MadridIMDb
  30. Ocho apellidos vascos 2014fictional Argoitia, Basque Country; SevilleIMDb
  31. Dolor y gloria 2019Madrid; PaternaIMDb
  32. Verónica 2017MadridIMDb
  33. Torrente, presidente 2026no town namedIMDb
  34. Amanece, que no es poco 1989an unnamed village, AlbaceteIMDb
  35. Hable con ella 2002no town namedIMDb
  36. Belle Époque 1992a country village, no town namedIMDb
  37. Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios 1988MadridIMDb
  38. Los domingos 2025Basque CountryIMDb
  39. Contratiempo 2016BarcelonaIMDb
  40. Toc Toc 2017a psychiatrist's waiting room, no town namedIMDb

How we placed them

Two rules: Spain is the first producing country in the film's Spanish Wikipedia infobox, and the first language it lists is Spanish or a co-official language of Spain (Catalan, Basque, Galician). Of every film with a Spanish Wikipedia article that Wikidata lists with Spanish among its languages, these are the 40 with the most lookups that pass. Where Spanish Wikipedia states no language, the English Wikipedia infobox decides. Two exceptions are let in by hand: Viridiana, which the infobox lists as Mexican first, and As bestas, which it lists as French-language first. Films with no named setting stay in.

Left out by that rule, though looked up more: El secreto de sus ojos (2009), Argentina, 1985 (2022), Relatos salvajes (2014), El infierno (2010), Cuando acecha la maldad (2023), Amores perros (2000), No se aceptan devoluciones (2013), Y tu mamá también (2001), Esperando la carroza (1985), Amar te duele (2002), Macario (1960), Voces inocentes (2004), Nosotros los nobles (2013), Como agua para chocolate (1992), Perfume de violetas (2001), La ley de Herodes (1999), Los olvidados (1950), El robo del siglo (2020), Nueve reinas (2000), Metegol (2013), Roma (2018), La Historia Oficial (1985), El crimen del padre Amaro (2002), La dictadura perfecta (2014), El olvido que seremos (2020), El Ángel (2018), Simón (2023), La odisea de los giles (2019), No manches Frida (2016), La vendedora de rosas (1998), Perras (2012), Arráncame la vida (2008), La leyenda de la nahuala (2007), Diarios de motocicleta (2004).

Each setting was read from the plot of the film's Spanish and English Wikipedia articles, then checked against Wikidata's narrative location and the Wikipedias' “set in” categories. The plot decides; where neither plot names a place, a place is shown only when Wikidata and a category agree.

On the map a pin marks a named town; shading marks an area the story is set in when it names no town there. A setting is where the story takes place, never where it was filmed.

The order is Spanish Wikipedia lookups from August 2021 to July 2026: visits to each film's article, not viewings, tickets or streams.

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