Spain continues to develop new shows for the international market, and Netflix has been pivotal in making the European country, an incredible pool of talent to pull from. From comedies to action films, and, of course, mysteries, it seems Spain can do it all, and do it well. In this opportunity, we are ready to talk about a new mystery show that will surely grab you and not let you go until the final episode. The Snow Girl is the new mystery show from Spain, arriving on Netflix this weekend.
The Snow Girl is a miniseries based on the book of the same name, written by Javier Castillo. The series stars Milena Smit, José Coronado, Aixa Villagrán, Tristán Ulloa, Loreto Mauleón, and Julian Villagrán. The miniseries tells the story of Miren, a young reporter who becomes interested in the kidnapping of 5-year-old Amaya Martín. When, years after her kidnapping, new clues appear that might lead to the girl’s location, the past of more than one of the people involved will come back to life to teach them a lesson.
The Snow Girl is a classic kidnapping story but seen from the point of view of the family of the kidnapped person. In this case, our main point of view is overlooking the family and friends. Our main character, Miren, played by Smit, has her own issues and troubled past, but she has the grit to go far and beyond looking for the truth. It is quite an amazing tale, and with only six episodes, the series doesn’t overstay its welcome. You won’t have to wait countless hours to get to the resolution of the case.
David Ulloa, and Laura Alvea direct the episodes, and they do a pretty good job of translating the despair and fear that some characters start to feel as the story progresses. The selection of shots used to transmit all these feelings is very well done, and you can easily put yourself in the character’s shoes and feel what they feel. The miniseries has this mysterious atmosphere that truly feels great for this type of story. The pacing is also very well maintained, and there are no dead moments throughout the entire six episodes of the show. Every second counts.
However, if there is something that might be weird or lacking, it could be the acting. Smit does a great job. The character of Miren is one of those troubled protagonists that has what it takes on the inside to do what they must. Miren doesn’t talk very much, but her actions speak so much more than her words ever could. She is a very good protagonist, and Smit’s performance is great. Nevertheless, every other actor around her feels off somehow. The dialogue is mostly delivered in this very stiff and strange way, and it makes the characters feel like just actors in a play.
A big part of getting into a show or movie is to be able to place a veil between the reality of our world and the reality of the show. We should have the chance to believe that what is happening inside the show is real and could be happening in the real world as well. However, the acting and the way some characters are written break this illusion, and you can definitely feel that these are just actors delivering their lines. Maybe it is all about the rhythm in the dialogue, it makes it feel like the actors a remembering their lines instead of just saying them because that is what their characters were thinking.
This might be the biggest issue with the series, and it is a big one. However, it won’t be one that affects every member of the audience. For those who are willing to let these weird performances pass, the rest of the show offers good entertainment. The mystery at the core of the show is relatable enough, in the sense that no one wants that to happen to them. The series doesn’t have to sell you the idea that what is happening is awful, you know it is. So, you spend most of the six episodes run just waiting and wishing that something good can come out of this.
Some of the steps that are taken within the show to solve the mystery are quite smart, but sometimes some of the most important characters leading this investigation can also become a bit dumb, and it breaks the immersion. The police, in fact, are sometimes the biggest stop sign on the road. We understand that to generate drama and make the audience feel like everything is lost, sometimes some characters need to fail. But it is the attitude of the characters while failing that makes you think that maybe they are just doing that to serve that need within the plot.
In the end, The Snow Girl remains entertaining, despite its flaws. The pacing might be the biggest help for the show, as it never stays in one place for too long, so the weakest parts of the story become just annoyances instead of massive issues. The performances are weird, but Milena Smit comes out on top as the most consistent performer, and thus, her characters serve as a good point of view from which to experience the entire story. This is a perfect binge-watch for this weekend.
