The Golden Legend (2019): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2019, The Golden Legend is a drama film directed by Chema García Ibarra, running about 11 minutes.

What it’s about. The swimming pool has played an important role throughout film history – most often as a romping ground for the sophisticated and hedonistic Dolce Vita. But it can be so much more, even sinister, as in Sunset Boulevard. In Leyenda dorada a rather unglamorous swimming pool of diminished charm forms the focal point of the story. A lazy summer’s day in the Spanish village of Montánchez, and people of all ages enjoy themselves at the outdoor pool. It is an almost utopian depiction of community, under the lofty, watchful gaze of Our Lady of Consolation. While conflicts, aggression, rivalries and animosities have a siesta, the villagers take a well-deserved break. Formally, the film draws on the tradition of New Objectivity. But unlike Robert Siodmak’s Menschen am Sonntag (1930) and its lido sequence, this is a wee summer fairy tale.

Who’s in it. The Golden Legend stars Nuria Rey Burgos, Laura Molano Chancal, Carlos Lebrón Lázaro and María Ángeles Rosco, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.3/10, The Golden Legend has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Golden Legend page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Golden Legend tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.