A few months ago I blogged about my Netflix obsession. Well, since we have all been in quarantine for a few weeks now (praying it will come to an end soon) I feel that I have watched everything that interests me on TV and Netflix. I have now become slightly obsessed with the Spanish series and movies from Spain and there are many good ones to choose from. For those of you that do not speak Spanish, no worries, you can use subtitles or even dub them, that’s how good these shows are. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did:

Casa de Papel (Money Heist)

Ranked as one of the Top 10 watched Netflix series, this show is AMAZING! Season 4 was just released this past Friday. La Casa De Papel takes an overused plot and spins a unique story from its common thread. A genius, named Professor, contracts eight people with nothing to lose and enfolds them into a plan to occupy the Royal Mint of Spain, kidnap a couple dozen citizens, and print hundreds of millions of euros. To keep everyone’s identities a secret, the newly contracted bank robbers are named after cities and told to keep all personal information to themselves. However, how interesting would the story be if everyone followed the rules? One misstep after another leaves eight robbers with good intentions, and an airtight plan, left to adapt to all that could go wrong… and does. A story about a bank robbery gone wrong sounds familiar, right? Yet, this story is anything but trite or routine. That’s because it’s hard to tell an ordinary story that’s embedded in humanity and love.

Vivir Sin Permiso (Unathorized Living)

This has been my second favorite Spanish series so far. Absolutely loved the story line and of course the beautiful sceneries of Galicia, Spain. The plot follows the story of Nemo Bandeira, a drug lord with a clean businessman facade, who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Although he tries to keep the news away from his family it becomes difficult while he tries to assess who his successor might be. Season 1 of the show revolves around Bandeira’s challenges within his family and his business network. Season 2 will see how his second-in-command tries to steal the business empire from its rightful heir, resulting in betrayal, violence and mayhem in Bandeira’s life.

Contratiempo (The Invisible Guest)

I love Jose Coronado (from Vivir sin Permiso above), he is an amazing actor, so of course when I saw he was in this movie, I was intrigued. The international young entrepreneur Adrian Doria seems to have it all in life; wealth, recognition, fame, and above all, a family and a caring wife on his side. But his perfect life is about to crumble like a pack of cards when he is found locked in a hotel room next to a dead body, and as a result, he now stands accused of murder. Under those circumstances and with less than three hours to come up with an impregnable defense as a last-minute eyewitness threatens to turn his case around, Adrian will seek help from the esteemed witness preparation expert, Virginia Goodman, while the clock is ticking. Eventually, as the night drags on, diverse interpretations of the incident will emerge, nevertheless, even though there can be more than one side to a story, in fact, only one can be absolutely real.

Mar de Plastico

Another great series. Mar de Plástico derives its name from the greenhouse areas in the fictional town of Campoamargo in Almería, whose aerial view resembles a floating sea of plastic (google Almeria on a satellite map). The peaceful cohabitation of fruits and vegetables in the greenhouses is shattered by a woman’s screams and struggle one oppressively stifling evening in the middle of a blackout. The following day, crops and workers alike are soaked in a bloody shower. The blood comes from the brutally murdered woman from the previous night. The woman turns out to be Ainhoa Sánchez, daughter of town mayor. The influence of the political status of the mother of the victim pales in comparison to the inhumane act the victim suffered before and after she died, and the latter is the pivotal reason why the case is sensational. Ainhoa was killed like an animal, she was chained, hanged upside down, her blood was drained while she was alive, and her limbs and head were chopped off and buried in different locations all over Campoamargo. If that is not savage enough, I do not know what is.

7  Años

This drama is centered around four friends and business partners who in one evening are forced to find a way to save their company and themselves. The impossible decision they face is agreeing on who will be the one to sacrifice their freedom to save the others from personal and financial demise.

Fugitiva

I have liked Paz Vega ever since I watched Spanglish many years ago. With a thriller format, Fugitiva is a story that revolves around Magda, played by Paz Vega. Magda is an attractive woman who, at a crucial moment in her life, sees her world explode into pieces and is forced to take a drastic decision. In this story, located between Mexico and Spain, Paz Vega is accompanied by Mexican actor Julio Bracho, which plays her husband; and by Roberto Álamo, who plays José K, a private investigator who will closely follow the steps of the fugitive. The creator of the series and screenwriter, Joaquín Oristrell, describes Fugitiva as “the story of 90 hours in the life of a family subjected to an extreme situation in which everyone is responsible, with characters facing constant obstacles and very emotional situations. powerful”.

El Aviso

Jon is a young man with a gift for mathematics and an obsession for numerical logic. He is a genius, but lost out on a promising scientific career because of his schizophrenia and had to settle for a job in a copy shop. One night, Jon and his friend David go to buy drinks at a gas station. David enters while Jon waits in the car. Just then, a robbery goes down and a bullet leaves David in a coma. Jon stops taking his medication and, overcome with guilt, he becomes consumed with finding some meaning in the killing of his friend. He investigates past attacks until he comes across the mathematical pattern they follow. Based on this, he deduces that, in nine years, the next victim will be little Nico, unless he manages to get a warning to the boy….

Have you watched any of these series or movies? I would love to hear your thoughts.