42 Days of Darkness

At the beginning I was not sure if I am interested in this program but I started watching and.... Wow !!! This is so interesting, excellent sightseeings, actors.... It is so real, you feel that you are there, very common people and at the same time, terrifying. Anyway, I liked it very much, and recomend it for sure....

Setting, the beautiful landscape of southern Chile on the foothill of the Andes Mountains A woman vanishes and the husband becomes a suspect. The mistery is well played on to engage the viewer sometimes abusing math technicalities but with elements to move the plot forward with an attractive whodunit. Fair twists and turns. Well conceived ending. Some characters are a bit grotesque and others too soft developed to be credible. Overall, entertaining and much better than many American run of the mill crime stories.

As this Chilean series, which is inspired by real events, opens a woman approaches a house that is surrounded by police. She is informed that her sister's body has been found. The action then moves back forty-two days to the time when she went missing. Verónica Montes lived in a wealthy community in the south of Chile; she was married to Mario Medina and has two daughters, Karen and Emilia. One day Karen returns home from school and finds the home empty. Mario goes to the police and tells them he has received a phone call from somebody who claims to have kidnapped his wife. While the police start their investigation lawyer Víctor Pizarro and two colleagues start their own parallel investigation, convinced that the police aren't doing a thorough job.

I thought this was a really intriguing series; I've no idea how close it is to the real events but as a drama it really works. We may know from the start that Verónica will be found dead but if anything that only makes one think more about how her body wasn't found sooner. The case is interesting and the cast do a great job bringing the characters to life. There is an understated reality to their performances rather than over-the-top highly charismatic characters. The impressive southern Chilean scenery combined with near constant rain add a great atmosphere to the already interesting story. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of the genre.

These comments are based on watching the Series in Spanish with English subtitles.

I guess some viewers just don't "get it". Being forever groomed by "hollow"-wood tv and movies, this film is not uber-lite viewing and not for the impatient. No, this doesn't have the young, shallow stereo-typical characters pulled from model magazines. It's not a fast, lotsa-action-blood-shoot-em-up film with genius forensic folks who can hack into every databank in the world to catch the killer. Nope. This film, which I enjoyed right from the first epi, is a deep study in characters immersed in a mystery.

The story takes place in a small gated community in Chile and while one aspect of the film is certainly trying to solve "what happened", the director chooses to focus on those involved closest to the investigation. The local police are unsure of themselves. But the general public is certainly coming up with its own answers which, in turn, have their own effects. Meanwhile, questions persist, which path to follow? - emotions run high, doubts, obsessions, frustration, (secrets?) all push their boundaries. What happens to a family and those around them when a life event suddenly interupts their "normal"?

I admit, I watch a lot of films. From the low-brow to the high. There are a lot wonderful foreign films that I've enjoyed due to the fact they're so unlike the common American pulp. For me, finding the series 42 Dias de Obscuridad on Netflix was a refreshing weekend binge!

As Episode 1 of "42 Days of Darkness" (2022 release from Chile; 6 episodes of 45 to 60 min each) opens, we fins ourselves somewhere in Chile and it is "June 29, 2010". We are introduced to a family of four. The husband is on his way to dropping off the two daughters at school, The wide, a woman named Veronica, hears a knock on the door, and she opens. It's not long before we realize she has disappeared, and feared kidnapped... At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments; let me just state the obvious upfront: I was not familiar with anyone on this production team or among the actors and actresses that are in this series. The plot is super heavy (and based on a true story), and my description of the initial 10 min does not give you a good sense of what all will take place (but neither am I going to spoil it here). Bottom line: it didn't take long for me to realize that this mini-series is right up my alley. The writing is strong, the characters are fleshed out. And the setting (in Chile) is an extra bonus.

All episodes of "42 Days In Darkness" started streaming on Netflix a few weeks ago, and I'm just now catching up on it. I've seen the first 2 episodes so far and it won't be long before I'll watch the remaining 4 episodes. If you dig true crime stories, and love an "exotic" setting like this one in Chile, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

*UPDATE* I've now seen all episodes, and have upgraded my overall rating from 7 to 8 stars. The last 2 episodes are absolutely outstanding, and my main reason for upgrading my rating.