電影發生在白朗高磅廠，看似仁慈的老闆白朗高 (查維爾巴頓 飾) 和他的員工正在迎接當地企業委員會的檢查，希望公司能得到卓越獎。 然而，最近被解僱的員工荷西 (Óscar de la FUENTE 飾) 突然帶著兩個孩子出現，要求恢復他的職位，氣氛頓時變得緊張。 當工廠的管理團隊拒絕他的要求，荷西便準備單人匹馬對抗公司，令老闆名譽掃地，阻止他贏得夢寐以求的獎項。

Básculas Blanco, a Spanish company producing industrial scales in a provincial Spanish town awaits the imminent visit from a committee which holds its fate in their hands as to whether they merit a local Business Excellence award: everything has to be perfect when the time comes. Working against the clock, the company’s proprietor, Blanco (Bardem) pulls out all the stops to address and resolve issues with his employees, crossing every imaginable line in the process.