Brain Drain

Emilio, a reserved student at a modest high school, keeps his long time crush on Natalia to himself. Natalia is the crown jewel of their class, smart and utterly out of reach. On the last day, she wins a scholarship to study medicine in Oxford, and Emilio feels the chance to confess slip away. His misfit friends, Chuli, Cabra, and Ruedas, refuse to concede defeat. They cheat and bluff their way into fake qualifications, and somehow end up boarding the same flight to the prestigious university. What starts as petty scheme spirals into a chaotic campus invasion that tests friendships and ego alike, all in good spirit. The tone stays playful and warm, always leaning into friendship as its core.

Directed by Fernando Gonzalez Molina, Brain Drain comes from an original concept by Curro Velázquez and Álex Pina. It marks Molina's early foray into light hearted romantic comedy in Spanish cinema. Its production design leans into sunny, collegiate aesthetics throughout.

Box office data for Brain Drain is not widely reported, and the film did not become a hit abroad. In Spain it had a modest run, drawing a smaller audience relative to blockbusters, while performing better on video after release.

Awards were scarce for Brain Drain. The film did not receive major nominations at the national or international awards circuit, and there are no notable wins on record. Some critics noted its lightness while others praised its pace, suggesting its charm lay more in energy than ambition and playful execution.

Critics treated Brain Drain as an easygoing but uneven comedy about misfit friends chasing a crush. The film balances awkward romance with campus farce, emphasizing friendship over vanity. Performances by Mario Casas and Amaia Salamanca anchor the tone, keeping the mood buoyant. Some audiences enjoyed the film's energetic charm overall.