In the midst of anti-globalization protests, seven job applicants, including former lovers Carlos (Noriega) and Nieves (Nimri), are settled into a boardroom at the Dexia Corporation where they participate in a mysterious, American-imported selection test known as “the Gronholm Method.” Unaware of the rules under which they’re being evaluated, the strivers engage in a series of psychological games that soon split the applicants into various factions.

Is “office thriller” a genre? Maybe it should be. Like an episode of “The Apprentice” directed by Harold Pinter, Pineyro’s high-stakes corporate survival drama unfolds in a blandly well-appointed Madrid suite on a day when anti-globalization protests are rocking the streets below. Adapted from a popular play by Jordi Galceran Ferrer, this entry gets a lot of mileage out of its intriguing premise — among the job aspirants, played by some of Spain’s finest talents, is a human-resources “mole” — but guessing who will be eliminated for not being company material is half the fun. “The Method” brings an appealing and involving satirical edge to the dog-eat-dog world of corporate conflict.