The Alcàsser Murders

This is a tragic story and one worth telling particularly because the case coincided with the advent of trash TV in Spain. In this case that means Telecinco owned by Sylvio Berlusconi of Italy fame. The Netflix film makers have over indulged themselves in their own sense of importance and take away from the story. There are multiple attempts throughout the episodes where they have put themselves in the "frame" and I found this very distracting from the actual story. None more so than at the end where we have one of the filmmakers pursuing the just released Miguel Ricart onto a train and asking him to sit down to chat appearing as though this is a perfectly reasonable request of a man who has just spent 20+ years in prison and has nowhere to go. Guilty of the same offences they highlight of Telecinco during the series in my opinion. It is also regrettable that at the very end of the last episode they decided to use the current politicised discourse in Spain about gender violence to make their own political statement which was not the theme of the documentary and should not have been used in that way. So regrettably, whilst this is a story worth telling I can't trust that the film makers have told that story. That reflects the poor standards of journalism in the country I've lived in for many years. Also, I needed English subtitles for some parts and they are of really poor quality

It is quite obvious that these poor girls were murdered in some kind of sadistic ritual, as any other explanation doesnt add up, despite the official version. Fernando Garcia, Miriam's father and criminologist, Juan Ignacio Blanco are also fully aware that several prominent people were the real perpetrators but it is horrifying to realise that these shadowy figures are so powerful that they can literally get away with the brutal murders of minors- and that this wasn't the first or the last time that children have been abducted and viciously murdered in this horrific way.

Very interesting case and the series gives an insight about how media can be used for your own cause. The father of one of the girls is a real character and I think its hard to like him, even though he was a hero back then. Terrible fate for these poor girls and it must have been tough to follow the case on TV every day for so many years. I enjoyed the series but then comes the end, its a joke. The story about the girls are used to try to accuse all men of sexism, in true metoo spirit. Just awful. Ialmost could not believe it. Stop watching when its 15 minutes left of the last episode and you will like this series much more.

It is difficult to tell a story like this one without being morbid and sensationalist and Netflix manages perfectly. It focuses on the horrible media circus that created this case in Spain back in the 90's. I was a kid back then and I still remember how this murders horrified the whole country. There a not cheap recreations or morbid details, just investigation about the trial and media coverage. Very interesting.

The Alcasser Murders is a fascinating case, especially considering the intense media attention at the time, which I think was a bit over the top given the era. However, the series itself feels clumsy in its execution. It jumps back and forth awkwardly between different time periods, then circles back again, which made it quite difficult for me to keep track of everything and piece the story together properly.

While the subject matter is compelling, the storytelling approach left me a bit frustrated and less engaged than I wanted to be.

If you're into true crime, it's still worth a look, but be prepared for a less smooth viewing experience compared to other series in the genre.