A northern Spanish coastal town suffers from its own isolationism as shipyards close down, leaving the labour force scouring the streets for temp jobs with only their stubborn pride to show for it.

Among the disillusioned is Santa (Javier Bardem), a cocksure, angry rebel who refuses to admit his own failures. Santa is the ringleader of a group of rapidly aging friends whose unemployed status causes them mounting grief.

They drown their sorrows in an otherwise empty bar owned by Rico (Joaquin Climent), one of their co-workers from what now seems another life. While Santa tries to clumsily seduce women and pay for a lamppost he vandalized in anger, his companions battle serious alcoholism, loan denials, and marriage troubles, as they all face their own insignificance.