Frontera Verde

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 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.

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!

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.

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.