Frontiera Verde

But the last two episodes went off the rails. WTF happened? Did the project run out of money? Did they bring in a new director to make the series more mainstream? Was there political pushback? Was it a problem to have a series with two strong female leads? Damn.

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 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.

It's definitely not a fast paced series but somehow it's intense in a subtle way. There is an intermeshing of reality and magic that fits everything together and is cool to boot. The story jumps back and forth between the two main characters timelines yet flows quite well and is easy to keep track of. It definitely has an environmental and political message but doesn't go too overboard with it. The whole story is pretty good, the actors are great especially for being unknowns, and overall it's very visually pleasing to watch. I can't give it 10 stars because there were some negatives for me and it did move too slow in some parts, but still a well done series and worth watching at least once.

A beautiful and enigmatic trip through the jungles of the Amazon and the mind and the universe. A deeply disturbing yet emotionally uplifting series that definitely needs to be binged.

Not a murder mystery but a mystery nonetheless that traverses time and physical boundaries. Excellent cast and fantastic script/scenes that are riveting in their uniqueness.

This is not a series like any other in that it deals with mysticism and tribal life down in the Amazon jungle. Perhaps Apocalypto comes close in atmosphere.

So strange and far from our everyday lives and yet it is amazingly pertinent to today's climate crisis and the world we live in.

Beautifully filmed, performed and crafted. Unlike other series where time shifts get annoying, these really work well in helping us understand the context and solve the mystery.

A strong recommendation!!