Child kidnapping is any parent’s nightmare, and it’s the nightmare that drives the events of Spanish crime thriller The Snow Girl. Based on the 2020 novel of the same name, the limited series takes a unique double-pronged approach to the case at hand. The show goes through the regular police investigations we’ve seen previously, but it also comes mainly from the perspective of journalist Miren Rojo, whose previous trauma understandably limits her trust with the authorities. As the show moves the story from New York to Malaga, and switches between perspectives, and timelines, The Snow Girl adeptly maintains the novel’s original suspense, without over sensationalizing the crime at hand.

As an adaptation, The Snow Girl has a lot to handle. Given the premise, the show tackles one kidnapping case, but through two separate investigations: the official police-sanctioned one headed by inspector Belén Millán, and the one by the media spearheaded by Miren Rojo. On top of this, the show has to balance the multiple timelines centered on this case, to remain faithful to the novel’s plot.

The Snow Girl is thankfully able to maintain that tightrope balance, as the dual-sided investigations delve deep into the dynamics between police and media – The police take a systematic, but bureaucratic approach, as per the justice system, but can be hindered by the media, depending on how intrusive or effective they get information, or how sensational they’re able to place attention on the issue. The multiple timelines also highlight how in the real world, cases like these get unresolved for years. This approach ensures a unique viewpoint of the issue, and gives justice to the original novel’s style and themes.