Frontiera Verde

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!!

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.

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.

Atmospheric and beautiful metaphysical thriller. Not for the action minded types, although even that is not lacking here either. You get hooked and want to see what is in the next episode immediately. Time traveling back and forth adds to the suspense. Excellent cinematography, plus all the characters are unbelievably substantial and the main woman actress is incredible. And then from Love and Rockets: "So Alive". A wonderful and fitting song, so turn up the volume. Think of the jungle forest and climate change, stay and watch.

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.