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| Image Credit: Prime Video |
Los Farad is the new Spanish series available on Prime Video starting 12 December 2023. Divided into 8 episodes of around 50 minutes each, it is a creature destined to become a cult thanks to the great inventiveness of its creators, Mariano Barroso and Alejandro Hernández. With the backdrop of a Marbella different from the popular nightlife resort of the Costa del Sol populated by young and very young people, in the settings and atmospheres of the Cold War, this crime thriller develops on the screen with structure and captivating irony.
Mariano Barroso, a popular name in Spanish serial production thanks to titles such as La línea invisible, signs a product that starts from the premise of a thriller but challenges - overcoming them - predictable genre stereotypes. The complex path of I Farad is a powerful attraction that branches out and is articulated on different levels, creating complex and multifaceted characters. The show, in a short time, will become the jewel in the crown of Prime-branded crime serials.
Los Farad, a thriller series full of subplots and an ambitious narrative
Los Farad is a TV series that conquers its space in the broad panorama of the genre with originality and depth. Its creators decided to tell a crime story, setting it in the evocative landscapes of the Spanish Costa del Sol in a historical period that to define as iconic is an understatement. The Cold War, an era of numerous but hidden crimes, is the ideal historical backdrop for the story of a criminal affair involving - on various levels - a family at the head of its own illicit empire. Los Farad, in fact, are the lords of evil - arms traffickers at the head of the food chain of the international underworld - who live and confront each other, from episode to episode, allowing the viewer to descend into the depths of a dirty business but also into the dynamics daily and unpredictable family members.
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| Image Credit: Prime Video |
The narrative strength of the series, which does not immediately reveal its cards but takes inspiration from the best classics of the thriller genre, is that of taking its time to tell and reveal the skeletons in the Farad family's closet through an - at least initially - foreign eye and innocent. The series's protagonist, the twenty-seven-year-old orphan and penniless Oskar (Miguel Herrán), finds himself reluctantly involved in a life that he did not imagine possible or existing. Through his watchful eye, at first, shocked and then complicit, the spectator also spies and discovers at the same time the misdeeds and family dynamics (dirty and bad) of the individual members of the Farad family.
The narrative and technical stratagem is simple but effective: initially, the protagonist's eye fully coincides with the spectator's, involving him in the mechanism of surprise. Subsequently, when Oskar switches from the role of accidental spectator to that of a full-fledged actor, a Hitcockian mechanism of suspense is activated which ensnares the audience in an inevitable and intense binge-watching. The plot, which becomes more and more complicated, extends beyond the simple corruption of a young poor boy who one day helps the "wrong" girl - the young lawyer Sara (Susana Abaitua) - apparently a smart professional but in reality the scion of a ruthless crime family.
The history of the Farad family goes hand in hand with the corruption of Oskar's soul: his slow descent into compromise to the point of perdition is worthy of masterpieces such as The Devil's Advocate, but the criminal and personal dynamics between the various members of the clan are worthy of legendary classics such as The Godfather or - to go on cult serial products of the last five years - the family drama Succession.
The originality lies precisely in the articulation and characterization of the individual characters, each painted with nuanced chiaroscuro, and deep greys. The atmosphere of the script, and the performances of the actors (among which Miguél Herran stands out, known for his portrayal of Rio in Money Heist), so dark and tense, contrast incredibly effectively with the brilliant palette and the sound ringing sounds chosen to strike the spectator's senses.
Los Farad: evaluation and conclusion
Los Farad is one of the best thriller series available for streaming in December 2023: an original, multifaceted, and complex product that surprises with every episode, keeping the tension alive with powerful technical stratagems and directorial skill. A healthy foundation of a great arthouse cinema thriller sculpts the contours of this series, which exceeds expectations and offers seven hours of healthy, crazy fun.