What Is Kika About?
The premise of Kika in 258 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the bustling yet oddly surreal streets of Madrid, a bright‑eyed make‑up artist named Kika finds her world turned upside‑down when a seemingly impossible event brings the stepson of an expatriate American writer back into the picture. The incident drags her into a tangled web of unconventional romance with a brooding photographer, Ramón, whose own past is as shadowed as the city’s neon‑lit cafés. As the pair navigate their burgeoning connection, they become entangled in a maze of family histories and whispered secrets that linger in the old house they share.
Around them, the cultural landscape pulses with flamboyant media personalities, most notably a charismatic television host, Andrea Caracortada, whose extravagant on‑screen persona masks a keen interest in the strange and macabre. Meanwhile, Nicholas Pierce, the American author staying above Kika and Ramón’s flat, drifts between literary pursuits and the odd jobs that keep his life afloat, adding another layer of intrigue to the household’s already eccentric dynamic. The film’s tone oscillates between darkly comic absurdity and a twisted, almost dream‑like realism, inviting viewers to linger over moments that feel both intimate and bizarre.
All the while, a relentless media storm swirls, turning everyday moments into sensational headlines and pulling the characters further into a realm where ambition, desire, and the unseen forces that shape their lives clash. The story unfolds with a vivid visual style that pairs gritty urban textures with bursts of surreal humor, leaving Kika to confront not only her own aspirations but the unsettling undercurrents that govern the world she has been thrust into.
What Happens in Kika?
The complete story of Kika, from the first scene to the last, in 695 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Kika, Victoria Abril, a naïve make-up artist, recalls how she met her lover Ramón. She had given her phone number to his stepfather, American writer Nicholas Pierce, and he had called her not for sex as she had hoped, but to fashion a strange reconciliation with the younger man’s corpse. The body was, however, merely catatonic and suddenly awoke. Ramón is a fashion photographer with voyeuristic tendencies who was traumatized by his mother’s suicide after several failed attempts. He lets Nicholas, who has returned to Madrid, live above their flat and the two discuss whether to sell the family home outside of town, Casa Youkali, which they jointly own. Ramón proposes to Kika, who accepts but feels conflicted as she has been cheating on him with Nicholas.
Nicholas is working on a novel about a lesbian serial killer, but he makes ends meet by freelancing discreetly for an outrageously exploitative television show that focuses on bizarre and macabre events. The show is devised and presented by Andrea Caracortada, Verónica Forqué, who wears over-the-top outfits and a persona to match. Andrea used to be a psychologist, and Ramón was once her patient, then her lover. He tells Nicholas that she scarred her own face when he left her and she is now stalking him.
On her show, Andrea reports that Paul Bazzo (real name: Pablo Mendez), a dim-witted sex maniac and former pornographic actor jailed for rapes, has escaped while attending a religious procession. He turns up at Ramón and Kika’s flat because their maid Juana is his long-suffering sister. Juana instructs him to tie her up, knock her unconscious and steal valuables, then hide at a cousin’s place. Paul, however, finds Kika napping and rapes her at knife point. An unseen voyeur peeping at Kika’s room notifies the police and two incompetent inspectors eventually arrive, shoot up the door and with great difficulty interrupt the rape. Paul escapes and bumps into Andrea, kitted out in a futuristic reporter’s outfit complete with helmet-mounted video camera. She asks for an interview, but he pushes her off and steals her motorcycle. She then enters the flat and harasses Kika. The police are puzzled at her presence, because although they often tip her off, they did not in this case. Andrea credits an unknown peeping tom for alerting her and broadcasts video footage of the rape on her show, causing Kika to break down.
In the aftermath, Kika finds Ramón to be no help and she overhears him confess to Nicholas that it was he who called the police: he liked to peep on her from his photographic studio’s window. She leaves him in silence, as does a guilt-ridden Juana who confesses her part in the rape. Ramón also tells Nicholas that he has held on to his mother’s diaries but never found the strength to read them. He does so, however, after Nicholas has moved back to Casa Youkali, and discovers that the farewell letter to him that Nicholas had passed on was actually ripped from an old entry. Ramón confronts Nicholas and accuses him of murdering his mother.
Meanwhile, Andrea and Ramón both spied on the flat from separate addresses. While reviewing footage of the upper floor, Andrea realises that Nicholas appears to have murdered one of his several girlfriends, Susana, when she visited him. Connecting this to his latest book, she also goes to Casa Youkali armed with a pistol and finds a freshly dug grave in the garden. Nicholas barricades himself, but she breaks in aggressively and offers to interview him and let him run away before the broadcast. They fight and shoot each other. Kika also appears and Nicholas confesses with his dying breath that his novel about a lesbian serial killer is actually a disguised autobiography, as Andrea had figured out. Kika also finds the bodies of Andrea, Susana and Ramón, but she manages to resurrect the latter a second time with electric shocks. Ramón had gone into shock after finding Susana’s body in the bathroom.
While Ramón is taken to hospital, Kika picks up a stranded driver and takes an instant interest in him, suggesting that she might need a new direction.
Kika Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
13 key events in the order they happen, from “Kika recalls meeting Ramón and Nicholas's strange call” to “Kika rescues Ramón and contemplates a new direction”. 13 events name a place, across 4 locations.
- 1
Kika recalls meeting Ramón and Nicholas's strange call
Kika, a naïve makeup artist, recalls meeting Ramón, a fashion photographer, and receiving a phone call from his American stepfather, Nicholas Pierce. Nicholas explains that he’s not calling for sex but to help stage the younger man’s corpse. The conversation hints at a web of voyeurism, desire, and looming danger surrounding their lives.
Where:Madrid
- 2
Ramón proposes to Kika
Ramón, who harbors voyeuristic tendencies, proposes marriage to Kika. She accepts, but her joy is tempered by guilt because she has been cheating on him with Nicholas. The couple’s future is shadowed by multiple entanglements, including the unspoken presence of Nicholas.
Where:Madrid
- 3
Nicholas's double life with Andrea
Nicholas works on a novel about a lesbian serial killer while freelancing for an exploitative TV show about bizarre events. The show is devised and presented by Andrea Caracortada, who used to be Ramón’s psychologist and lover. Ramón reveals that Andrea scarred her own face when he left her, and that she now stalks him.
Where:Madrid
- 4
Paul Bazzo enters the flat and assaults Kika
Paul Bazzo, a dim-witted former porn actor jailed for rapes, escapes during a religious procession and makes his way to Ramón and Kika’s flat. Juana, their maid, instructs him to tie Kika up, knock her unconscious, and steal valuables, before hiding at a cousin’s place. Paul rapes Kika at knife point, escalating the danger in the couple’s home.
Where:Madrid flat
- 5
Police raid interrupts the rape
An unseen voyeur alerts the police to the crime. Two incompetent inspectors arrive, shoot at the door, and barely interrupt the rape before Paul escapes. The chaotic intervention adds to the sense of vulnerability surrounding Kika.
Where:Madrid flat
- 6
Andrea seizes the moment: interview and chase
Paul bumps into Andrea, who is wearing a futuristic reporter’s outfit and a helmet-mounted camera, and she tries to interview him. He pushes her away and steals her motorcycle. She then enters the flat and harasses Kika, leaving the police puzzled by her sudden presence.
Where:Madrid
- 7
Andrea broadcasts the rape
Andrea credits an unknown peeping tom for alerting her and broadcasts footage of the rape on her show, causing Kika to break down. The broadcast weaponizes trauma and amplifies the communal sense of surveillance.
Where:Madrid
- 8
Aftermath: Ramón’s role; Juana’s confession
Kika finds Ramón unable to help and overhears him confess to Nicholas that he called the police because he liked peeping from his studio window. Juana, the maid, confesses her part in the rape as well, adding guilt to the aftermath.
Where:Madrid flat
- 9
Ramón reads his mother’s diaries; confrontation
Ramón, having kept his mother’s diaries, reads them after Nicholas returns to Casa Youkali and discovers that the farewell letter Nicholas passed on was ripped from an old entry. He confronts Nicholas and accuses him of murdering his mother.
Where:Casa Youkali
- 10
Andrea’s investigation leads to Casa Youkali
Andrea and Ramón spy on the flat from separate addresses. Andrea realizes Nicholas may have murdered one of his girlfriends, Susana, and she travels to Casa Youkali armed with a pistol, uncovering a freshly dug grave in the garden.
Where:Casa Youkali
Show the other 3 events of Kika Hide the last 3 events
- 11
The confrontation at Casa Youkali
Nicholas barricades himself inside; Andrea breaks in, proposes an interview and a quick escape before broadcast. A violent confrontation ensues, and they shoot each other.
Where:Casa Youkali
- 12
The truth comes out as Nicholas dies
In his dying moments, Nicholas confesses that his novel about a lesbian serial killer was really a disguised autobiography. Andrea has pieced together the truth behind his fiction.
Where:Casa Youkali
- 13
Kika rescues Ramón and contemplates a new direction
Kika discovers the bodies of Andrea, Susana and Ramón and revives Ramón with electric shocks, a second resurrection after his earlier shock. Ramón is taken to hospital, and Kika, suddenly free of the previous entanglements, picks up a stranded driver and hints she might pursue a new direction.
Where:Hospital
Who Are the Main Characters in Kika?
7 characters, among them Kika (Victoria Abril), Nicholas Pierce and Andrea Caracortada: who each one is and the part they play in the story. 3 of them link to the actor’s page.
- K(
Kika (Victoria Abril)
Played by Victoria Abril
A naïve makeup artist drawn into a tangled web of love, secrecy, and manipulation. She experiences betrayal as she cheats on Ramón with Nicholas, and endures a brutal rape that exposes how she is exploited within a media-saturated world. Despite the trauma, she asserts agency and contemplates new directions after the chaos resolves.
- 🎭 Drama
- 💄 Beauty
- 🗝️ Secrets
-
Nicholas Pierce
Played by Peter Coyote
An American writer juggling a novel about a lesbian serial killer with discreet freelancing for a sensational TV show. He is entangled with Kika and Ramón, and his obsession with storytelling drives him toward dangerous, revealing consequences. His betrayal and manipulation contribute to a spiraling web of violence and guilt.
- 📝 Writer
- 🎭 Drama
- 🧭 Ambition
- AC
Andrea Caracortada
Played by Verónica Forqué
A flamboyant presenter and former psychologist who weaponizes others’ stories for her show. She stalks Ramón and later becomes entangled with Nicholas in pursuit of exclusive interviews, blurring ethical lines between journalist and participant. Her interventions propel the plot toward a violent confrontation.
- 🎥 Media
- 🧩 Intrigue
- 💋 Power
- R
Ramón
A fashion photographer with voyeuristic tendencies who is emotionally scarred by his mother's suicide. His self-interest and secret peeping contribute to the strain in his relationship with Kika and set off a chain of betrayals. Ramón is both a victim of his past and a contributor to the present chaos.
- 🎨 Fashion
- 🪟 Voyeurism
- 💔 Trauma
- PB
Paul Bazzo
A dim-witted former porn actor with a penchant for sexual conquests. His escape and subsequent rape of Kika trigger a crisis that exposes the vulnerability of the victimized in sensationalist culture. His actions catalyze the unraveling of several relationships.
- 💥 Crime
- 🔪 Violence
- 🧷 Scandal
- J
Juana
The household maid whose complicity in the events reveals how laborers can be pulled into the stories unfolding in Casa Youkali. She ultimately confesses her part in the charges, contributing to the moral ambiguity of the narrative.
- 🧹 Domestic life
- 🕊️ Guilt
- 🤝 Alliance
- S
Susana
One of Nicholas’s girlfriends, whose presence is tied to the murder plot that Andrea investigates. Her fate becomes a key piece in the larger mystery surrounding Nicholas and the author’s crafted stories.
- 🕯️ Mystery
- 🩸 Death
- 🧭 Betrayal
Where and When Is Kika Set?
Kika is set in Madrid and Casa Youkali (Early 1990s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Early 1990s
Set in a contemporary Madrid at a moment when sensational television begins shaping public perception. The era features glitzy fashion, a celebrity-centered media culture, and personal betrayals that play out across urban nights and intimate interiors. The period predates streaming, heightening the immediacy and impact of scandal as it unfolds on screen and in private life.
Where
Madrid, Casa Youkali
The story unfolds in Madrid, a modern city that serves as a backdrop for fashion, media, and intimate entanglements. The family home Casa Youkali, located outside the city, becomes a central location for secrets, confrontations, and tense confrontations between characters. Domestic spaces and the flat’s upper floors are used to stage voyeuristic glimpses and escalating drama.
- 🏙️ Urban setting
- 🏡 Country estate
- 🎭 Intrigue
What Are the Themes of Kika?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Voyeurism, Media sensationalism and Identity & performance.
-
01
Voyeurism
The film threads surveillance through constant looking, cameras, and peeping. Ramón’s hidden glimpses from his studio, Nicholas’s discreet watching, and Andrea’s televised scrutiny fashion a world where private moments are public fodder. This voyeurism fuels jealousy, manipulation, and the violence that erupts in the flat.
-
02
Media sensationalism
Andrea Caracortada’s show treats real suffering as entertainment, weaponizing personal trauma for ratings. The rape incident becomes headline material that devastates Kika and reshapes alliances. The film critiques a culture that profits from others’ misfortune and blurs truth with spectacle.
-
03
Identity & performance
Characters wear masks of fashion, persona, and role, blurring truth and fabrication. Kika navigates romantic entanglements and moral harm while maintaining appearances in a glossy world. The novel-as-autobiography twist reveals how personal narratives are crafted and consumed, mirroring the show’s performative reality.
What Kind of Film Is Kika?
Dark in tone, with fast pacing and a complex story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Complex
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A fast-paced, darkly comedic and unsettling satire that bombards the viewer with a chaotic mix of family trauma, media exploitation, and sexual violence, all filtered through a lens of grotesque voyeurism.
- voyeuristic
- satirical
- grotesque
- unsettling
- chaotic
- darkly comedic
- tabloid journalism
- family secrets
- trauma
- sexual assault
Content notes: sexual assault, murder, suicide, stalking, voyeurism.
Quiz
How well do you remember Kika? Test yourself on the story.
