Atrapados

First off I'm argentinian, so this may be a little biased. You have been warned.

When I started watching this series I thought it would be the typical missing girl movie/series. I don't wanna spoil anything, but let's just say it's not what it may seem at first look...in a good way. You think you know what's happening and then it takes some very unexpected turns.

The story is ultimately not "shocking", but I think that's something good, it ads to its overall credibility.

Acting is decent. Dialogues are reasonably good and credible (as a lawyer I found some police lines kinda dumb, but that's unavoidable in a work of fiction) music is ok, photography is good.

I would recommend this. It's not one of the best series out there, but it's well above average, especially for Netflix standards.

The script and idea were promising, with good potential to create a gripping story. However, the poor editing and very bad performances turned it into a confusing and slow series that failed to maintain engagement. The lack of pacing, awkward scene transitions, and uninspired acting made it frustrating to watch. What could have been a compelling thriller ended up feeling disjointed and tedious. The atmosphere and setting had promise, but the execution fell flat, making it difficult to connect with the story or characters. The dialogue felt unnatural, and the tension never fully developed, leaving a disappointing final result.

I'll give it a couple of points because Argentina does look quite pretty. I usually give extra points for things like settings and costumes, et cetera those might be the only points it gets.

I haven't read any Harlen Coben in a long time but I used to love his books because he was able to put in a plausible twist at the end which made sense and wasn't a lame cop out. The books were logical and coherent with characters of enough depth that there could be a backstory somewhere to make them a killer. As someone who almost always can guess who done it, it's a refreshing change to have a mystery I can't guess.

This was absolutely stupid. Discount all of the normally stupid stuff which could potentially happen when making a film. It is better than that. But instead they have the main character do something so absolutely incredibly stupid which is a repeat of something incredibly stupid she did before, with very bad consequences. I do so badly want to say what it was, because we are SO ANNOYED at wading through 7 episodes (not the most entertaining series) for this absolutely most implausible & moronic event with only the last episode left.

Unless that plot twist happens, my husband guessed correctly, but no matter who did it, this scene was just idiotic.

I think these reviews are not editable, so I will have to leave you with the visual of my husband saying, "we are not going to watch that last episode now because I am so angry at how utterly ridiculous that was, " standing up, leaving the room. I saw him through the patio doors with garden utensils in hand. He hates gardening & rarely does it. So that is saying something.

End result, there was a twist ending that neither of us predicted. It was plausible, but still stupid. It makes Argentinian women look pretty stupid and/or thoughtless impulsive, tbh. I don't think they are, so either Coben or the movie misjudged.

I'll be interested if anyone says the book is any different or if maybe people don't feel it's as stupid as we do.

I was pretty intrigued after episode 1. The plot was solid with a lot of different ways the story could go and plenty of characters to keep you guessing. After that first episode however the execution was unfortunately pretty awful.

I kept having to remind myself that the main character was a journalist and not a cop because the amount of access this woman gets as events unfold in active investigations is that of only those actually investigating the crimes. That aspect alone was frustrating because the show is so focused on the main character. She is increasingly frustrating to watch as the show continues, making very cliche poor decisions. The conclusion is unpredictable, so it gets points for that, although admittedly by the end I was just finishing the show for the sake of finishing it.

What a disappointment! I don't understand how anyone can give this series 7 stars.

The theme is incredibly important and strong, one of those I like, but it quickly turns into a confusing kind of soap opera with a terrible main character. I'm talking about Ema Garay, the journalist.

She leaps to conclusions far too quickly and makes terrible choices. She doesn't seem to worry about the consequences. The subject needs a stronger character, no doubt. And the issue is that pretty fast I had already stopped caring. A protagonist should inspire you to cheer for them. Especially because of the important topic.

As if that's not enough, the storytelling is frustrating and badly edited. It keeps flipping back and forth between past and present, and not in a good way. Rather than enhancing the mystery, it just bogs things down. At times, I didn't care anymore and I was more exhauted than excited to see more.

Not even the performances do much to hold you. If you're a big fan of Harlan Coben's work, you may want to skip this one. Don't expect anything fabulous or exciting.

If you're just seeking for a solid mystery thriller, I will not send you here; best to find something else.

This is another weak Harlan Coben adaptation, and a real bad one.