Released: 30th April 2021
Number of Episodes: 8
Certficate: 15
Created By: Oriol Paulo
Starring: Mario Casas, Alexandra Jiménez, Aura Garrido, José Coronado, Martina Gusmán, Juana Acosta and Gonzalo de Castro
Telling a standalone story and focusing on a well-defined cast is often a key part of thrillers. Take a character’s difficult past, stick them in a situation that threatens to reveal it and you’ve got yourself an unpredictable tale. El Innocente arrives from Spain to deliver a mostly well-crafted offering.
Based on the novel by Harlan Coben, the series follows Mat (Mario Casas), who is arrested for causing an accidental death on a night out. Having served four years in prison, Mat is rehabilitated and ready to settle down with his wife Olivia (Aura Garrido) in a fancy estate. All is not as it seems as the couple gets separated and soon become embroiled in a wider conspiracy involving murder and grim sexual offences. The Innocent pulls the audience in with its opening introductions. In each episode we get a succinct background on each of the main characters through narration. Through this method, we’re able to quickly identify them and how they fit into the story. While we spend most of the eight episodes focused on Mat, we also move around different time periods; this slowly draws out the wider details and motives. On the other hand, the tone can swerve wildly and this is most evident in the fifth episode. Focusing on Olivia Costa, her past life is revealed with some brutal flashbacks. At points you’ll be surprised the series got away with its 15 rating. When compared with other moments in the series, this episode feels excessively violent and mean-spirited, distracting from the show’s mostly realistic tone.
This is applied successfully to the main players; Mat, Olivia and their acquaintances are all portrayed well. Their responses to the situation are grounded with the main protagonist looking to find his wife, only to find himself on the run from the law. A large amount of animosity persists within the characters and this is always placed centre-stage. With that said, not every moment from the cast lands with the right impact; sometimes characters will find themselves into traps easily or changing their mind abruptly after previous grievances. The latter occurs in the climax where a former associate of Olivia’s (played by Martina Gusmán) makes a very baffling reversal. Simultaneously, some characters don’t receive as much attention as they should. Lorena Ortiz (Alexandra Jiménez) is established early on as a key player in the story; as the detective leading the investigation, she’s very steadfast in her duties. But at the same time, her personal side doesn’t receive the same attention as other leading members.
From an atmospheric point of view, The Innocent is often switching between locations and tones. One moment we’re placed in a fairly uniform nunnery and the next we see the dingy backdrop of a rotting brothel. Thanks to the varied shots and lighting, we get a good feel for each environment. Many gruesome sequences of post-mortems and sexual depravity often line the sequences, making for a serious outing all the way through. The soundtrack is also filled with these dark undertones and as the truth slowly gets revealed, the intensity rises further. It’s all a solid backdrop for the story that unfolds.
While occasionally it does have its share of questionable moments and character decisions, El Innocente is otherwise an enjoyable series. The way it quickly identities its key characters and plays them off each other makes for an engaging narrative that you’ll want to see through to the finish.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (Good)
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