In The Great Seduction, a dying island’s only hope to survive is to make their new resident doctor stay. The movie is now streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Santa María, a small town on an island, is home to 120 people. Most families here make their living as fishermen. The lively town faces difficulties when the neighboring town opens up a modern fish-packing company.
The people of Santa María are left with nothing to fish. The company destroys the town. The people here now have to rely on the small bucks offered to them by the Unemployment Office every month.
Many residents of Santa María leave the island and their families behind in hopes of finding a job in the big cities. While everyone is leaving, Germán, a resident of the town who has grown up admiring the island and his family’s life as fishermen, is determined to bring Santa María back on its feet again.
Only a select few people are now attending the town meetings. In one of these, the mayor announces that a fish-packing company is considering building a plant in their town, which will give all of them new jobs.
The mayor isn’t happy because the packing company is asking for a doctor on this island. Their insurance company won’t authorize the plant here unless they have a permanent doctor.
Santa María has been searching for a doctor willing to settle here for the past 15 years; they haven’t succeeded, and the mayor thinks they will never succeed. Hence, even the mayor leaves the town with his family.
Germán believes there has to be a doctor who is willing to move here. They will find that doctor. Now the question arises: even if they find a doctor, how are they going to make sure that the doctor will stay?
Germán says they will seduce the doctor and make them stay; they just don’t know how they are going to seduce them yet. The people of Santa María send letters to every doctor in the nearest city who might be willing to come to this little fishing town.
After losing a promotion to his best friend, Dr. Mateo Suárez commits a shameful and unacceptable act that infuriates his boss, who, only because Mateo is a great doctor, doesn’t fire him but sends him to Santa María for one month.
Now that the town has a doctor, Germán is determined to make sure that Mateo stays no matter what. In order to do that, Germán and the people of the town attempt to create an environment that will grab Mateo’s attention and make him feel good.
The town gets its research done right. Mateo loves American Football, so the townsfolk learn the sport and make it look like the sport is played, watched, and celebrated every day here.
They also mess with the landline of the house Mateo will be staying at to monitor his calls and learn more about him as he speaks to his friends and family. This way, they will find out what he likes and doesn’t like, and they will be able to fulfill his demands.
The townsfolk mess up from time to time, but for the most part, their seduction is working, and Mateo does start liking this place.
Germán calls Mr. Hernández, the man representing the packing company, and lets him know about their doctor. However, the packing company is building their plant in another town that has offered to pay them a generous personal guarantee.
Germán says they can offer them a great deal too. German talks to Benjamín, the town’s bank manager. Benjamín is not ready to give a loan for such a large amount because he knows his boss will never allow it. Furthermore, his job is already at risk right now.
The townsfolk start questioning the lies they have painted in front of Mateo when Germán uses Mateo’s dead brother to connect with him. Now they are close to making Mateo stay.
However, Anita, another resident, wants to be counted out of this because she knows how much Mateo will be hurt once he finds out the truth. Soon, Germán manages to convince Mr. Hernández that Santa María is where they should build a plant for the packing company.
Benjamín supports his people by approving the loan they need, knowing that this will cost him his job. Benjamín is hoping that they will be able to pay it back once they start working at the packing company.
The Great Seduction (2023) ending explained in detail:
Why does Germán reject Mateo’s offer?
When Mateo learns that his fiancée, Lucía, has been cheating on him with his best friend, Mau, he is left devastated. He feels like a fool and a joke for not seeing this.
The townsfolk are happy now that Mateo has no one to go back to the city. However, when Germán sits with Mateo and learns what he is feeling, he realizes that what they are doing with Mateo is nothing different.
The next day, Mateo comes to tell the town that he would like to be their doctor. They are all authentic, and he feels good here, but Germán lies to Mateo about signing another doctor so that Mateo won’t have to suffer again after learning the truth about their lies.
Does Mateo learn the truth?
Before leaving Santa María, Mateo sits down with Anita. To make Mateo stay, Germán had lied to him by telling him that Anita likes him. Anita is not able to pretend in front of Mateo, so she tells him the truth.
A furious Mateo confronts Germán, who is in the middle of a meeting with Mr. Hernández. Germán tells Mateo the condition of their town, how it has been forgotten, and how their lives have been robbed away.
Germán explains that without a doctor, their town would have died, and hence, he had to do this. However, Mateo doesn’t pay heed and walks away.
What makes Mateo change his mind?
Near the shore, on his way to the city, Mateo meets Don Claudio, another resident of the town he used to see every day. Don Claudio advises Mateo to not focus only on the bad and to look at the sunshine beyond the clouds.
Mateo returns and agrees to be the town’s doctor by shaking Germán’s hands and putting a smile on everyone’s face. Mateo’s presence allows the packing company to build a plant in Santa María.
The townsfolk are able to pay the loan. The fish-packing company changes their lives for the better. It not only offers jobs but also brings people’s loved ones back home. The schools of Santa María start raising doctors, engineers, and astronauts.
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