May God Save Us

In the hot summer of 2011, against the backdrop of the economic crisis and the 15-M Movement, Madrid is swarmed by a million and a half of pilgrims awaiting the visit of Pope Benedict XVI. Two police inspectors are commissioned to investigate a brutal serial killer who rapes and kills older women. The two inspectors will have to solve the case in a short time and without too much clamor. The ending is unexpected and after three years from the facts told.

{{Cast listing|

• Antonio de la Torre as Luis Velarde
• Roberto Álamo as Javier Alfaro
• Javier Pereira as Andrés Bosque
• Luis Zahera as Alonso
• José Luis García Pérez as Sancho
• Mónica López as Amparo
• {{ill|María Ballesteros (actress)|es|María Ballesteros|lt=María Ballesteros}} as Rosario
• Raúl Prieto as Bermejo{{Cite web|url=https://cine.atresmedia.com/peliculas/que-dios-nos-perdone/noticias/clip-que-dios-nos-perdone-tenemos-que-sacar-pecho-resistir-que-nos-echen_2016102558582a380cf27b766cec5056.html|website=Atresmedia Cine|date=25 October 2016|title=Clip de 'Que Dios Nos Perdone': "Tenemos que sacar pecho y resistir lo que nos echen"}}
• {{ill|Rocío Muñoz-Cobo|es|lt=Rocío Muñoz}} as Juana{{Cite web|url=https://cine.atresmedia.com/peliculas/que-dios-nos-perdone/noticias/clip-que-dios-nos-perdone-asi-relacion-javier-alfaro-roberto-alamo-familia_2016102558582a400cf20341e40a8413.html|website=Cine Atresmedia|title=Clip de 'Que Dios Nos Perdone': Así es la relación de Javier Alfaro (Roberto Álamo) con su familia|date=25 October 2016}}
• María de Nati as Elena
• Teresa Lozano as Amalia{{Cite web|url=https://cine.atresmedia.com/peliculas/que-dios-nos-perdone/noticias/clip-que-dios-nos-perdone-asi-relacion-javier-alfaro-roberto-alamo-familia_2016102558582a400cf20341e40a8413.html|date=25 October 2016|title=Clip de 'Que Dios Nos Perdone': Así es la relación de Javier Alfaro (Roberto Álamo) con su familia}}
• {{ill|Francisco Nortes|es|lt=Fran Nortes}} as Rafael March
• Andrés Gertrúdix as Padre Raúl{{Cite web|url=https://www.telerama.fr/cinema/films/que-dios-nos-perdone,518623.php|website=Télérama|title=Que Dios nos perdone Film de Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Espagne, 2016)|first=Jérémie|last=Couston|date=5 May 2021}}

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The screenplay of May God Save Us was penned by Isabel Peña and Rodrigo Sorogoyen. The film was produced by Tornasol Films, Atresmedia Cine, Mistery Producciones AIE and Hernández y Fernández PC, with the participation of Atresmedia, Movistar+ and Telemadrid.{{Cite web|url=https://www.audiovisual451.com/que-dios-nos-perdone-estreno-en-cines-28-de-octubre/|website=Audiovisual451|title='Que Dios nos perdone' – estreno en cines 28 de octubre|date=27 October 2016}} Outdoor scenes in Malasaña involved shooting in the Maestro Guerrero and Desengaño streets.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eldiario.es/madrid/somos/malasana/las-peliculas-rodadas-en-malasana-de-pepi-luci-y-bom-a-que-dios-nos-perdone_1_6425421.html|title=Las películas rodadas en Malasaña: de 'Pepi, Luci y Bom' a 'Que dios nos perdone'|website=Somos Mañasaña|via=eldiario.es|date=4 February 2017|first=Luis de la|last=Cruz}} In addition to Madrid, footage was also shot in Tenerife, taking advantage of the Canarian archipelago's tax incentives.{{Cite web|url=https://www.audiovisual451.com/gamero-el-guion-de-que-dios-nos-perdone-era-uno-de-los-mejores-guiones-que-habiamos-recibido-en-mucho-tiempo/|website=Audiovisual451|title=Gamero: "El guion de 'Que Dios nos perdone' era uno de los mejores guiones que habíamos recibido en mucho tiempo»|date=14 September 2016}} The film was edited by Alberto del Campo and Fernando Franco.

The film had its world premiere in September 2016 at the 64th San Sebastián International Film Festival, screened in the festival's main competition.{{Cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/es/newsdetail/315355/|website=Cineuropa|first=Alfonso|last=Rivera|title=Que Dios nos perdone: a la caza del monstruo|date=18 September 2016}} Distributed by Warner Bros, the film was theatrically released in Spain on 28 October 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.espinof.com/entrevistas/que-dios-nos-perdone-entrevista-a-rodrigo-sorogoyen-e-isabel-pena-aqui-hay-mas-exigencia-no-podemos-fallar|website=Espinof|title="Aquí hay más exigencia, no podemos fallar". Rodrigo Sorogoyen, director de 'Que Dios nos perdone'|date=30 October 2016|first=Mikel|last=Zorrilla}}

According to the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, May God Save Us has a 100% approval rating based on 6 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 7.7/10.{{Cite web |title=May God Save Us|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/may_god_forgive_us|language=en |website=RottenTomatoes|access-date=5 November 2023}}

Jonathan Holland of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Sorogoyen "mixes up police procedural, social crit, character study, black humor and Catholicism into a taut and distinctive whole", summing up as a bottom line: "sweaty and suspenseful".{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/may-god-save-us-que-931100/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=20 September 2016|first=Jonathan|last=Holland|title='May God Save Us' ('Que Dios Nos Perdone'): Film Review {{!}} San Sebastian 2016}}

Carlos Marañón of Cinemanía rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be a benchmark noir for Madrid's Augusts, supported by a dedicated and well-understood costumbrismo, and channeling Spain's recent past.{{Cite web|url=https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/criticas/que-dios-nos-perdone-62809/|website=Cinemanía|via=20minutos.es|date=24 October 2016|title=Que Dios nos perdone|first=Carlos|last=Marañón}}

Quim Casas of El Periódico de Catalunya also gave it 4 out of 5 stars, considering the Sorogoyen shoots well the oppression of the moment and the atmosphere, with the film, up until certain point, "confronting and unscrewing the two protagonists, both of whom are plunged into their own hells".{{Cite web|url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/ocio-y-cultura/20161027/que-dios-nos-perdone-critica-quim-casas-rodrigo-sorogoyen-5591588|website=El Periódico de Catalunya|first=Quim|last=Casas|title='Que Dios nos perdone': la jungla de asfalto|date=27 October 2016}}

Javier Ocaña of El País wrote that the film features a "a superb work of art direction and mise-en-scène with a vehement and very attractive camera", offering a socially disheartening portrait of Madrid, assessing that the film may only raise doubts in regard of the "excessive psychological explanations". He also wrote about the cast's "fabulous" performances, from Álamo and De la Torre to those actors barely declaiming a few lines.{{Cite web|author-link=Javier Ocaña|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2016/10/27/actualidad/1477579457_192634.html|website=El País|date=28 October 2016|title=Un Madrid apocalíptico|first=Javier|last=Ocaña}}

{{Awards table|5}}

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| align = "center" rowspan = "17" | 2017 || rowspan = "2" | 22nd Forqué Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Film || {{nom}} || rowspan = "2" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.elespanol.com/cultura/cine/20170114/185981875_0.html|website=El Español|title='Tarde para la ira' triunfa en los Forqué y coge fuerza para los Goya|date=14 January 2017|first=Javier|last=Zurro}}

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| Best Actor || Roberto Álamo || {{won}}

|-

| rowspan = "7" | 4th Feroz Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Drama Film || {{nom}} || rowspan = "7" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.bekia.es/cine/noticias/lista-ganadores-premios-feroz-iv-edicion/|website=Bekia|title=Lista de los ganadores de los Premios Feroz 2017|date=23 January 2017|first=Tamara|last=García Copado}}

|-

| Best Director || Rodrigo Sorogoyen || {{nom}}

|-

| Best Screenplay || Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen || {{nom}}

|-

| Best Actor (film) || Roberto Álamo || {{won}}

|-

| Best Supporting Actor (film) || Javier Pereira || {{nom}}

|-

| Best Original Score || || {{nom}}

|-

| Best Trailer || || {{nom}}

|-

| rowspan = "6" | 31st Goya Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Film || {{nom}} || rowspan = "6" | {{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.es/2016/12/14/nominados-goya-2017_n_13622078.html|website=HuffPost|title=Nominaciones Premios Goya 2017: 'Un monstruo viene a verme' lidera con 12 candidaturas|first=Elena|last=Santos|date=14 December 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecartelera.com/noticias/37186/lista-completa-ganadores-goya-2017/|website=ecartelera|title=Lista completa de los ganadores de los Premios Goya 2017|first=Luisa N.|last=Jábato|date=4 February 2017}}

|-

| Best Director || Rodrigo Sorogoyen || {{nom}}

|-

| Best Actor || Roberto Álamo || {{won}}

|-

| Best Supporting Actor || Javier Pereira || {{nom}}

|-

| Best Original Screenplay || || {{nom}}

|-

| Best Editing || || {{nom}}

|-

| 26th Actors and Actresses Union Awards || Best Film Actor in a Secondary Role || Javier Pereira || {{nom}} || {{Cite web|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20170213/425541382/javier-pereira-entre-los-nominados-a-los-premios-union-de-actores.html|date=13 February 2017|website=La Vanguardia|title=Javier Pereira, entre los nominados a los Premios Unión de Actores}}{{Cite web|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2017/03/13/actualidad/1489414980_828283.html|website=El País|title='Tarde para la ira' triunfa en los premios de la Unión de Actores y Actrices|first=Raquel|last=Vidales|date=14 March 2017}}

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| 4th Platino Awards || Best Editing || || {{nom}} || {{Cite web|url=https://www.elmundo.es/cultura/2017/05/31/592efbe246163f43688b45bc.html|website=El Mundo|date=1 June 2017|title='Un monstruo viene a verme', favorita de los Premios Platino 2017|first=Pedro del|last=Corral}}{{Cite web|url=https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2017/07/23/estos-son-los-ganadores-de-los-premios-platino-2017/|website=cnn.com|title=Estos son los ganadores de los Premios Platino 2017|date=23 July 2017}}

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• List of Spanish films of 2016

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|4944596}}

{{Rodrigo Sorogoyen}}

{{authority control}}

Category:2016 thriller films

Category:Spanish crime thriller films

Category:2010s Spanish-language films

Category:Films set in Madrid

Category:2010s serial killer films

Category:Films set in 2011

Category:Tornasol Films films

Category:Atresmedia Cine films

Category:Films shot in Madrid

Category:Films shot in the Canary Islands

Category:2010s Spanish films

Category:Spanish neo-noir films

Category:Films directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen