Summary
This series will not set the world alight, but it does entertain audiences with a deep thriller modernising Jack London’s short story in the heart of Madrid.
This review of Netflix limited series The Minions of Midas contains no spoilers. The drama was released on Netflix on November 13, 2020.
The Minions of Midas is based on the Jack London short story that was released in 1901, so evidently, creator Mateo Gil has brought a modern adaptation of the story in bustling Madrid. The series is a deep thriller, a head-scratcher for the audience, and one that catches you off guard with the tone and care for the story.
The Netflix series has a comfortable place with the audience; rather than bamboozle you with the complexities of corruption, The Minions of Midas introduces characters that feel removed from the events unfolding. Familiarities with Spotlight, where the leading characters were on the outside looking in, coming to conclusions from the surface rather than being embedded with the problem.
The Minions of Midas follows a millionaire publisher owner and businessman Víctor Genovés (played by Luis Tosar) who has been heavily compromised by a secret organization of extortionists — as part of their blackmail, Víctor must send the organization a significant amount of money, or they kill people each time the blackmail hasn’t been met. Strangely, we are dealing with a cool character who is within himself, and in the first episode, it’s easy to feel he is a cog in organized crime due to his calmness. The series also introduces an investigative journalist, who grows a rapport with Víctor due to a scoop; she’s breaking a story about arms supplies in Syria that is funded heavily by a Spanish bank. There are many moving parts in this Netflix series, that are both intriguing but indicative of the shenanigans that occur with the higher echelons.
The 6-part series is tentative, but at the same time, it does not drag the story, rather it stays on the beat, moving the pace when it feels necessary. Many implications are riding on Victor’s story, riding on life and death that makes decision-making a key attribute to the script. As the story moves, the threat feels like it is increasing, compounding the audience with increased tensions.
As it is only six episodes and at a respectable 50-minutes apiece, audiences cannot grumble — Netflix’s The Minions of Midas is an easy, entertaining thriller to consume, bringing the essence of modern Madrid while platforming characters that are interesting to ready. This series will not set the world alight, but it does entertain audiences with a deep thriller modernizing Jack London’s short story in the heart of Madrid.
