User reviews

Atmospheric and beautiful metaphysical thriller. Not for the action minded types, although even that is not lacking here either. You get hooked and want to see what is in the next episode immediately. Time traveling back and forth adds to the suspense. Excellent cinematography, plus all the characters are unbelievably substantial and the main woman actress is incredible. And then from Love and Rockets: "So Alive". A wonderful and fitting song, so turn up the volume. Think of the jungle forest and climate change, stay and watch.

It's definitely not a fast paced series but somehow it's intense in a subtle way. There is an intermeshing of reality and magic that fits everything together and is cool to boot. The story jumps back and forth between the two main characters timelines yet flows quite well and is easy to keep track of. It definitely has an environmental and political message but doesn't go too overboard with it. The whole story is pretty good, the actors are great especially for being unknowns, and overall it's very visually pleasing to watch. I can't give it 10 stars because there were some negatives for me and it did move too slow in some parts, but still a well done series and worth watching at least once.

A beautiful and enigmatic trip through the jungles of the Amazon and the mind and the universe. A deeply disturbing yet emotionally uplifting series that definitely needs to be binged.

Not a murder mystery but a mystery nonetheless that traverses time and physical boundaries. Excellent cast and fantastic script/scenes that are riveting in their uniqueness.

This is not a series like any other in that it deals with mysticism and tribal life down in the Amazon jungle. Perhaps Apocalypto comes close in atmosphere.

So strange and far from our everyday lives and yet it is amazingly pertinent to today's climate crisis and the world we live in.

Beautifully filmed, performed and crafted. Unlike other series where time shifts get annoying, these really work well in helping us understand the context and solve the mystery.

A strong recommendation!!

This series is really unique, I've never seen something like this, It's really worth the watch. It's not so much of a thriller rather than a really complex fantastic-kind-of-mystery involving two powerful female characters in two different time lines and cultures. It's beyond artsy and rare. Really interesting characters and plotlines. Breathtaking cinematography and locations. A unique view of a colombian culture that seems to be hidden deep in the jungle. Although slow-paced, it's actually really fast to binge, when the ending credits of the last episode started rolling I couldn't believe I watched the 8 episodes.

Great production.

This Colombian crime drama opens with the discovery of the bodies of four female missionaries in the jungle. Helena Poveda is dispatched from Bogota to investigate; she is teamed with a native police officer who is estranged from his tribe. Shortly after her arrival another body is found; a native woman wearing clothes similar to the missionaries is hanging from a tree... her heart has been removed. As Helena's investigation progresses she quickly grows to suspect that the local police can't be trusted. Interwoven with scenes of the investigation we see details of the local tribe's life; in particular Ushe, the dead woman, and a man named Yua; these two have a deep, spiritual connection to the jungle.

I described this as a crime drama but it is so much more than that. The central mystery is intriguing but there are also questions to be answered about Helena's childhood and the trustworthiness of local police. There is also the story of Ushe and Yua and their unique spiritual connection to the jungle; and one western man's determination to uncover the secret of their connection. The scenes set in the jungle looks fantastic; whether it is scenes amongst the trees or shots of small boats going up massive rivers and smaller tributaries. The cast is impressive; I was pleased that the indigenous characters mostly spoke in their own language. Overall I'd definitely recommend this eight part series to anybody after a crime drama with a difference.

These comments are based on watching the series in Spanish and indigenous languages with English subtitles.

But the last two episodes went off the rails. WTF happened? Did the project run out of money? Did they bring in a new director to make the series more mainstream? Was there political pushback? Was it a problem to have a series with two strong female leads? Damn.

This series is truly unique as a Bogota detective sent by the Attorney General investigates the deaths of 4 missionary girls and one indigenous woman who is more than she seems, in many respects. Wonderful photography, great acting, and a mythical script combine to keep you watching episode after episode. The use of flashbacks is excellent, though may be confusing for some.

Then it hits the wall. After 5 great episodes, the story veers off track. I don't want to give up the twist that's coming, but it's a poor one from my POV and detracts from what was otherwise a marvelous series. Despite this tragic flaw, the series is well worth viewing. It's a 10 if it wasn't for this plot flaw.

This must be the finest Colombian production since "Narcos". But unlike the "Narcos" story arc, a beam of truth and enlightenment shines through the story, characterization and cinematography. Even if at times the writing and direction falls back on familiar stereotypes and corny special effects (like a human heart beating inside an air-filled glass jar), in the aggregate, this is a brilliant telling, not of a story, but a certain truth about human beings and Mother Nature. It's not necessarily a happy or comfortable truth but one we desperately need to understand and experience. A unifying theme here is nature Goddess worship and its connection to health, longevity and happiness. Joseph Campbell and C.G. Jung would have loved this series!

This Columbian series is about a crime drama inside the amazon jungles with some supernatural elements (the eternals), Nazi plots and mostly featuring aboriginal tribes other than the main lead protagonist, who is probably a columbian actress.

I kind of binge watched the 8 episode series over 2 days. The english sub-titles were good. The series has a non-linear narrative with past and present scenes shown one after the other. Considering the plot, I felt that the 8 episodes kind of dragged and it could have been shown in 4 or 5 episodes. Also, the story went almost along predictable lines till the end.

I must say though that it is beautifully shot in the jungles and definitely is a different kind of series of Netflix

Even though the series starts with the murder of 4 missionaries in the amazon jungle and how the lead actor goes about her investigation, neither is it a thriller nor a horror.

The message in the series has more to do with preserving the forests and saving it from human exploitation.

Recommended for a one time watch only.

I was compelled to write a review for two main reasons: 1. I loved it, and it's a different kind of tv show than what we are used to, especially from Netflix; 2. After seeing the "low" rating but especially the few votes (approximately 600 at the time of writing).

It doesn't start slow as few other pointed, but then again it really depends what kind of movies you like. If you've seen and enjoyed Ciro Guerra's Embrace of the Serpent or even the more "mainstream" Emerald Forest by J. Boorman., you will surely like this one. Ciro Guerra directed the first episode, and Antonio Bolivar has a role in this one as well.

It's hard to pick a genre for this series, I would say it's an environmental oriented mystery with supernatural elements, with some drama and thriller undertones.

The cinematography is beautiful at times, the script is convincing and works very well along some good acting moments by a relatively unknown group of actors and the editing is nicely done. I didn't have any problems with its pacing nor wished it would have gone longer, tough I had to admit I would love to see a season two with a similar theme in a different environment or culture.

The story itself is a classic one but with a very fresh approach, it deals with the environmental problems we are facing (right now the amazon forest is/was on fire) but also with the internal problems, the alienation from ourselves. The writers really did a good job in creating a good background for the narrative, the elements of Christianism and a certain type of pantheism become tangled and intertwined.

The lead actors are very good, much better than the average cast of most Hollywood produced tv shows. There are able to deliver three dimensional characters, there are some good lines in the series and also some dramatic and memorable moments.

I won't give the plot away, don't want to spoil the pleasure of a viewing without too much information that can often harm the viewing experience. I highly recommend it (along with Dark) this is by far the most original tv show produced in recent years.

Everything you want on a show, beautifully shot, great characters, amazing photography, full of mystery and magic, with a lot of twists! After you're hooked, it's almost imposible to stop. Highly recommended!

The emphasis in the reviews I've read on the non-existent ending are totally valid. It basically just plops to a finish with zero resolution. It could also have been compressed by having fewer contemplative cigarette smoking scenes, verbal abuse scenes, repetitive white demon-splaining content, and nonverbal woman-staring moments. Some of the shots and plot devices are overused, and yes, its rather long and drawn out at times. (I didn't find it too bad in terms of the pacing that some are saying was too much for them.)

Other than that, it had plenty of spiritual connectedness to nature and its symbiosis explained in mystical terms, with acceptable special effects, amazing cinematography and POV shots, etc. It didn't rely on gore or sexual abuse, nor animal abuse, either, so it wasn't lazy in those ways. And, while the lead character Helena was strong enough, it's not like she was improbably heroic, or always in charge. The whole thing was largely joyless, though, and it never is explained why four of what are essentially jungle nuns that could obviously not have been 'Ushe' were murdered. Are we to assume the Ya'arikawas masks made them colorblind, yet still left them capable of perfect shots?

RE: the reviewer wanting only Yua's story, and not Helena's: His story is already baked in - he's a brave but weak, jungle-knowledgable-guru 'eternal' that turns out to be less than wise in some ways, and habitually ineffectual in leadership. Stop watching any and all movies featuring women if their existence disinterests you, then you can stop talking about it, too. Also, no one here is speaking to the producers of anything through this platform!

Great camera work. Great location/setting. Good cast and decent acting. Great start to a story but then WTF happened? I really want to give this more stars but I just can't. I'm not sure what all the great ratings saw but I just can't get with it. Ending the way it did could have been done in four episodes instead of dragging it out. Disappointing.

This series is very unique, deep and so beautifully done!! I was very impressed!! Although it's not fast pace, it's only 8 episodes and the mysterious story line keeps you hooked and interested till the end. The acting is superb and the cinematography is simply breathtaking. What a beautiful connection between a crime story and mother nature, and how remarkable what the directors achieved with the real indigenous tribes of the Colombian Amazon.

The story starts like a murder case but it gradually evolves to something more. It evolves to something existential, deep and metaphysical involving the Amazon's jungle mysteries and the connection of the natives with the spirit of the jungle and the earth. Story nicely said, great atmosphere - music, good acting.

Netflix continues to release some impressive and original television series from around the world, this one from Colombia. While the supernatural elements of this series sometimes detract from immersion in the story, and the non-linear narrative can be challenging, it is a good story, well-written and convincingly cast.

It´s a thriller with a great historical and geographic context; the jungle looks awesome and the shooting locations are beautiful. It´s really a shame that the main plot of the story be so weak; In opposite, the secondary plot, Ushë and Yua´s story is really powerful and their mythological relationship with the mother earth is so interesting; their performances are outstanding and its a hit that they speaking on their own language. Please producers, keep Yua´s story instead of Helena´s.

If you enjoy great direction, great scripting, great cinematography, and incredible acting, this is for you. However, if you don't understand that "Religion is for people afraid of going to Hell, but spirituality is for those who've already been," then you probably will not get it. (Sorry I can't remember to whom to credit the quote."

I started watching this out of curiosity for the setting, I do appreciate the originality and exotism of the setting.

The acting is quite solid, even if there are lots of natives from the are that are not even actors, but they felt really natural and authentic. I also liked the use of original languages, even if some lazy people think this is annoying, I find it being added value.

The story is interesting, I didn't dislike the twist that many found a bad one, but I do agree that the pace is a bit too slow at times, even if it's a slow burner, some times it loses the point and becomes boring.

Most people prices the photography, besides the fact that it's an interesting setting, I actually found it quite amateur in look, it definitely need colouring, which is a postproduction thing and it doesn't seem to have through the series, but interestingly, the short behind the scenes documentary available in Netflix does have it, and it looks much better than the actual series.

Might be an artistic choice, but colour correction is such an important thing in cinema today, it can't be overlooked.

It didn't bother me so much as to spoil the experience, but what actually disappointed me was the ending, being too surreal for my taste. This is personal preference and I'm not saying it's bad, I'm sure many will enjoy it and it probably has a lot of meaning, but I just didn't catch all that and it's not my kind of thing.

The series was enjoyable and original though, I respect it doesn't try to be commercial, I think it was good and I recommend it to people that want to see something different.

The jungle is alive...the trees are green...there is water in the jungle...the jungle will protect us...oops, the jungle doesn't protect us...grow and get old or be eternal...be who you are...be one with the jungle. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Apparently aboriginal tribesmen like to stare, emotionless, for most of their days.If the staring scenes were eliminated, this could easily have been a three episode series. Past and present are constantly flipped back and forth. This was painfully boring for me to watch. I felt no connection with any of the characters and didn't care who lived or died. There was a lot of metaphysical in the story, but again, I didn't care.

Looks like I'm in the minority on this one.

This show will be one of my favourite for sure. Everything is perfect. We need more series like this!!