The Netflix streaming platform, also thanks to the success of numerous Iberian series, especially Casa di Carta, offers us a new Spanish show, based on the story Midas Minions by Jack London, in which we will see the protagonist Víctor Genovés, played by Luis Tosar (actor that the general public will probably remember from his performance in the movie Cell 211) in the role of a prominent businessman who struggles with blackmail.

The play, which consists of six episodes that last about 50 minutes, is one of Netflix’s first novelties of November and manages to entertain not only thanks to a narrative intertwining capable of going with ease from the dramatic to the thriller, but also because of the strong Connection. with our present.

A dangerous request

In contemporary Madrid, a well-to-do businessman at the head of a news organization receives what appears to be a kind of sect – the title Midas’s favorites – a letter asking them to make a massive deposit of money into their accounts (50 million euros) to prevent some civilian victims from being eliminated without prior notice in the event of default. The protagonist of the events, a certain Victor Genovés, initially reluctant to take the particular threat seriously, soon realizes that he is facing implacable opponents and thus mobilizes the police in an attempt to try to stop to the ruthless, as a powerful group acting in the shadows. The first merit of the series is to be able to narrate the present without hiding behind a complacent doing-the-good, showing a Madrid agitated by the various popular revolts, arising from a generalized discontent with the political class, that will immediately give the idea of ​​a civil society ready to explode at any moment.

In this climate of increasing tension, Victor will find himself handling a situation that is far from simple, since shortly after the stakes will get higher and higher and the alleged sect will assume the characteristics of a true terrorist group dedicated to destabilizing society with all the means at its disposal. Midas’ Favorites, always careful to communicate their true intentions to the protagonist, will not hesitate to make him feel involved in his crimes, placing him from time to time the numerous ultimatums that he will necessarily have to assume. From the beginning, in fact, the group has set itself the goal of eliminating anyone, on a regular basis, until you receive the huge sum of money requested.

The play thus stages a desperate fight against time to try to stop a seemingly implacable group, eager to carry out their occult plans without even showing themselves in the first person. The series, consciously choosing to focus on a slow and reasoned pace, still manages to entertain throughout its duration thanks to a well-thought-out construction of tension, which will not only see the protagonist, but also all the supporting actors present. the intention to come to terms with what will actually take the form of an unsolvable enigma.

Good characterization of all characters, since in the course of the work we will have the opportunity to delve into the psychology of many of them, starting with Victor and his paranoia, up to his numerous colleagues, many times simply unable to have a clear vision of everything. Among the defects that we would like to point out, we can however indicate some basic repetition of some passages, such as the voice-over that describes the messages of the sect, which will always and in any case conclude with the name of the sect.

Endless climbing

The narrative satisfies not only for the good management of the suspense component, but also for a propensity to show the many dynamics involved in running a newspaper. Víctor Genovés, in fact, in addition to managing the thorny issue of Midas’s favorites, he will also have to deal with his business partners, that will sometimes aim to kick you out of the activity you’re in charge of to gain full control. However, the secret society that attacked him will not give him a respite, leading him to doubt everything and everyone, never having a firm point on who or what the real threat he faces is.

The greatest strength of the series created by Mateo Gil and Miguel Barros lies in the construction of a criminal group structured as an ethereal and intangible organization, which will amaze viewers from the first minute with the virtually incalculable firepower they can rely on, making their murders indistinguishable from the tragic daily deaths.

Facing the unknown in complete solitude It will thus become one of the predominant themes of the entire work, since Victor, despite being animated by an enviable professional ethic, will find himself handling most of the most difficult solutions by himself, sometimes without knowing how to move. Emblematic from this point of view are the numerous sequences in which we will see him silently observe the environment that surrounds him, as well as his city, from large windows, almost to testify to the enormous weight that the protagonist will have to carry from the beginning on his shoulders, where any wrong decision could lead to the death of an innocent.

The work is also solid from a technical point of view, through a functional direction to the type of story told, capable of also focusing on slow and reasoned camera movements more than in the frenzy of the action, keeping a very impressive photograph from the visual point of view, especially in the interior sequences. The way the most violent sequences were handled was also very good, never targeting a splatter cut but still showing blood when necessary, returning a good degree of physicality during the most hectic moments, although minimally present in the work.