El cuco de cristal

The Crystal Cuckoo: Spanish thriller series. Clara Merlo (Catalina Sopelana), a young doctor, undergoes a heart transplant. Seeking to meet her donor's family, Clara travels to a small mountain town, an event that coincides with the disappearance of a baby in a public park. Her stay in the town leads her into a spiral of secrets, mysteries and disappearances stretching back over decades. This one has a touch of Folk Horror about it, involving local festivals where people dress up in bird masks. One of those associated with the disappearances also wears such a mask and performs bird dances. An involved, complex narrative moving between the 1970s, early 2000s and 2023/2024. It will keep you gripped though, just pay attention. Some gruesome murders, a terrible predator and a few plot twists. You may work out some of what is going on but the finale surprised me. Six episodes on Netflix. It reminded me of The Baztan Trilogy serial killer films also on Netflix. Directed by Laura Alvea & Juan Miguel del Castillo, Written by Jesús Mesas Silva & Javier Andrés Roig, based on the novel of the same name by Javier Castillo. 8/10.

The Crystal Cuckoo is a Spanish noir mystery that unfolds across two timelines in a remote town. The acting is decent and the atmosphere is fitting. In the first couple episodes there are compelling hints that dark secrets bubble just under the surface of the town's bucolic geniality. Constant shifts between the two timelines are annoying but the show's not difficult to follow. Instead, the main problem is that the mystery simply isn't very mysterious or interesting. The series is apparently based on a novel and there was a sense that the plot, structure and pacing would have worked in a book but weren't suited for the format of a show.

There are some creepy parts to it, and it starts off much more interesting than the tailspin it takes you in from midpoint or so to the end, but overall - this was a rough watch. It contains scenes that are probably a good bit longer than they need to be - scenes that are very tough to watch, but I guess it also brings attention to the issues that you will see in this film at the very least as a counter.

I had this on in the background while studying and it was just very meh overall - had its moments which almost made me gave it a 6 but the deeply disturbing scenes which are longer than they should and/or need to be makes it a middle of the pack limited series for me.

The plot twist is wonderful, but the rest is just "meh." The initial premise that brings the protagonist to the town is very original, but from there it gets lost in useless, banal, and insubstantial dialogue. Many personal relationships lead nowhere; rather, they seem like a vehicle to get to the last episode and leave you speechless. The police investigation could have been given more weight; practically everything the viewer discovers about the case is thanks to flashbacks and not to the organic progress of an investigation, whether police-led or not.

The actors spend most of their time with the same facial expression, showing no evolution throughout the series.

The setting is the best thing about the TV serie. We need more works that explore the misnamed "empty Spain," that forgotten but magical Spain with its immeasurable cultural wealth.

I like Spanish TV series. The Crystal Cuckoo is also a Spanish series and takes place in a small town. Watching Itziar Ituño in this show is a great pleasure. It's a horror series, and the script is very well written. The director also delivers a strong performance. In addition to Itziar Ituño, the acting of Alejandro García, Iván Massagué, Valèria Sorolla, and Tomás del Estal is quite impressive. The young lead actors, Catalina Sopelana and Alfons Nieto, also perform their roles successfully. Both are artists who will surely make a name for themselves in the future of Spanish cinema. As for the child actors, they are incredibly successful. Overall, it's a well-crafted and successful production.