agmtw logo
search
Burning Body

Burning Body

TV-MA

Netflix

A fiery Barcelona murder mystery unraveling the tangle of toxic relationships

7.5

TV Show

Spain
Spanish
Drama
2023
JORGE TORREGROSSA, LAURA MAÑÁ
Eva Llorach, Isak Férriz, Jose Manuel Poga

TLDR

Can’t wait to see more from Úrsula Corberó!

What it's about

While dealing with divorce proceedings, police officer Rosa Peral (Úrsula Corberó) receives news that her boyfriend and fellow cop Pedro Rodriguez was found dead in the Foix reservoir, Barcelona. Inspired by the real-life Guardia Urbana murder.

The take

Releasing a documentary and a mini-series on the same case on the same day, Netflix understands how compelling Rosa Peral’s story is. Burning Body dramatizes the case’s events, but it does so in a way that questions the police as an institution. With the case, it’s clear that the ones assigned to protect citizens from crimes are trained enough to hide their own. However, the series also underscores the blatant sexism in their ranks, from higher ups taking advantage of new recruits, to spreading revenge porn on their fellow colleagues. With Money Heist’s Úrsula Corberó on the helm, Burning Body paints a double sided look of a multifaceted woman.

What stands out

With the events of the real-life case available online, viewers would be familiar with the series’ major plot points. Despite this, the show is able to create a sleek mysterious aura from the strategic story structure of writer Laura Sarmiento. This mood is expected for any good crime show, however, Sarmiento does this by maintaining Rosa’s innocence in the first episode. Immediately, we have reasons to side with Rosa– with depression, divorce and custody battle, and a history of being taken advantage of by previous precinct’s higher ups, Rosa surely must be too busy to commit murder. The way each information is presented in the first episode actually made me doubt what I googled about the proceedings. But, of course, the first episode reveals its twist – the who and why of the murder – and shifts the mystery to who Rosa is. It’s a ballsy move, but it makes the show feel so compelling and it sets up the stellar performance of Úrsula Corberó.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Ethos

A level of attention to aesthetics usually reserved for the most elaborate films, mixed with a complex and relevant story, make this series from Turkey unmatched in its quality

9.9

Say Nothing

A powerful take on the Northern Ireland conflict that smartly shows all sides

8.5

Caliphate

A psychological thriller that provides insight on what drove so many young people to ISIS.

8.9

Occupied

Norway's most expensive show ever is a timely thrill ride with a grim geopolitical premise.

8.7

Escape at Dannemora

Based on a true prison escape story, this slow-burn suspense thriller features once-in-a-lifetime performances by a star-studded cast

9.3

Unorthodox

A well-acted fact-based thriller about untangling the grip of a close-knit community

8.5

Wild Wild Country

Almost too outrageous to be true – this captivating true crime docuseries tells the unlikely story of an Indian cult in America

9.8

The Looming Tower

A well-written thriller miniseries about the rivalry between the CIA and the FBI and how they failed to prevent 9/11.

8.1

The Good Fight

Like Suits or The Good Wife, but sharper

9.1

Unbelievable

Critics lauded the angle and feminist edge of this grim true crime miniseries.

8.8

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.