The Innocent

Spanish films are some of the best in the last years and The Innocent is the same, only in an 8 hour version. Few series keep the ratings of each episode as well as this one, each episode around 90% and that alone is respectable. Add to that a decent load of twists and turns, suspense, shocking revelations and the gradual unravelling of the story and you have exactly the Spain we're used to. I like the style of storytelling, where in each episode the past of one of the characters is revealed until the final image of their interconnection. The story moves from an innocent theme to the gangster underworld of strippers and corrupt police, and the whole thing has a mysterious atmosphere where you don’t know what exactly is going on until the end. The main roles are the classic Mario Casas, as well as familiar faces from The Invisible Guest (the mother of the victim) and even Ramiro from the Spanish Movie parody. But just not to praise, I found the last two episodes a bit chaotic, the behaviour of the characters was a bit silly (especially Kimmy, Matt and the main bad guy who I don't know why he "spoofed" his plan...) and I was expecting maybe a bigger mindfuck boom, and that takes a bit off my rating, but still, this is an above-standard series that will please both fans of Spain and fans of regular crime, mystery and thrillers. Just don't be put off by the hour-long running time of the episodes and go for it. (17/05/2021)

I’ll admit that I preferred the first half of the series. It kept coming up with new mysteries without providing answers to them. In the second half, things were explained in a way that was too dumbed-down for my taste. Plus, as the story progressed, various logical holes started to appear, which didn’t do the show any favors. Despite these issues, I had a good time and don’t regret watching it. You can really tell when the writer gets along with the director:-) (18/08/2021)

Oriol Paulo is a God, a genius, and Maestro all in one, serving one of the best crime-thriller TV series of recent years. I admit I was skeptical about The Innocent and put it off for three weeks, mainly because I had suffered through similar series of the same caliber that I had seen recently (The Serpent and True Detective), but finally I got a proper crime series without frills, one that isn't afraid of corpses, violence, and intense twists. Oriol Paulo has already surprised us four times with his filmmaking, and now he brings us the best of his career. It's a combination of The Invisible Guest and Sky Rojo, and it looks fantastic. Mario Casas is excellent once again in the lead role, delivering his typical standard, but the show is stolen by Alexandra Jiménez, who plays the detective with great style and I really enjoyed her appearances. She's a strong female character, and you can feel the respect she commands (she reminded me a bit of Rachel from Money Heist). I also really liked Miki Esparbé, who plays an exemplary pimp and steals most of the scenes for himself. The rest of the cast, of course, doesn't lag behind and they all excel. Paulo captivates from the beginning with a decent pace (the tempo may be slower, but it moves from scene to scene, so it feels relatively brisk), corpses are not spared, there are usually about two per episode (I praise the excellent autopsy scenes, where the creators weren't afraid to show the insides or demolished faces – it really shocked me!). The technical side is of the highest quality, and there are even some fights (a flashback from prison), the issues addressed are excellent. Not only is there classic investigation, collecting evidence, fighting for life, proving the truth, but also people trafficking, child prostitution, prostitutes, brothels, prisons, and more. There is something for everyone here, and I love and am interested in all of it, so Oriol really hit my taste. But the biggest praise goes to the screenplay, I don’t remember seeing such a well-thought-out story. There are like five twists per episode, everything is twisted, the unpredictability of the series is absolutely fantastic, and just when you think everything is wrapped up, another twist comes! Twist after twist and great dosing of information, where surprisingly you don't get lost at all. The highlight of the series is episode 5. It felt the most intense in terms of twists, and the ending took my breath away and tore me into pieces! It's a bit disappointing that the final episode is somewhat expected, but considering the previous onslaught of twists it's almost logical that it's impossible to shock so many times in eight hours, but even so, Paulo managed it better than any other creator. A great Spanish Renaissance masterpiece, which I recommend to everyone! 9/10. (25/05/2021)

Spain is pouring in series after series and I can't stop gaping at the quality of the work they're doing. Maybe one day I'll grow tired of the character of a slightly unstable, willful detective with a painful past and a pouty face. But not yet; for now, I'm enjoying it and I want more. The main character, i.e. The Innocent, both irritated me and aroused my sympathy in equal measure. And I'm glad for that in the finale, because the more charisma he lacked, the more the other characters stood out. A beautifully crafted script with unexpected plot twists. Well written, acted, and directed. (03/06/2021)

I have heard words of praise about Oriol Paulo's work, but for some reason, I hadn't watched any of it. The first two episodes were captivating and gave me the feeling that I was watching a scriptwriter's polished gem in the hands of a director who has a good sense for the genre and a perfectly studied understanding of modern thrillers. However, with each subsequent episode, doubts and sobering thoughts gradually began to creep in. The way Paulo works with characters, the transformations they go through, the challenges they have to face, and the (inevitably fatal) obstacles they must overcome, strikingly resemble the creation of Latin American soap operas, of course, on a completely different production and craftsmanship level. It's the same emotional manipulation, shocking and far-fetched twists, melodramatic elements built for effect, excessive complexity, and, last but not least, the same reliance on attractive faces and enticing bodies of actors of both genders. It must be noted that they are not limited to their attractive appearance, as the selected ensemble also delivers solid acting performances. If you don't mind the overall exaggeration and excessive plot twists, and you are capable of switching off your brain at the appropriate moments, The Innocent can provide you with an intoxicating experience. For me, three stars and an overall impression of 50% is a messy compromise between obvious craftsmanship and mediocre content. Paulo didn't offend me, but one look into his creative workshop was enough for me... (27/07/2022)