Summary
If a standard crime thriller with a relatively engaging story and a soothingly familiar formula are what you’re after, this movie delivers.
We review the Netflix film Infiesto, which does not contain spoilers.
Spanish filmmaker Patxi Amezcua’s third feature made its Netflix debut. Infiesto is a crime thriller set against the backdrop of the pandemic’s early days in the spring of 2020. Isak Férriz (who you might recognize from the Netflix series Feria: The Darkest Light) and Iria del Río (who appeared as Greta in the hit show Elite) star as two police inspectors investigating the case of a missing girl who recently escaped her captors.
Infiesto Review and Plot Summary
The film starts around the time Spain officially announced the first lockdown and finds our leads personally affected by the virus. Inspector Samuel Garcia (Férriz) is not allowed to visit his nursing home-bound mother, while Deputy Inspector Marta Castro’s (del Río) boyfriend is infected and gradually getting worse.
The two get little time to process the global situation as on the same day a nationwide lockdown is announced, a kidnapped girl emerges after having been held captive in the small mining town of Infiesto. Because of her injuries and mental trauma, the victim can’t help the police locate her captors. And as most of the police force is needed to enforce the lockdown, the police commissioner (Juan Fernández) has little choice but to make Marta and Samuel work the kidnapping case by themselves.
Setting the film at the start of the pandemic, when speculation, anxiety, and uncertainty were high, was an interesting choice by Amezcua. It explains why the two leads have no resources available and puts the villain’s motivations in a whole new light. While Covid isn’t the main storyline in Infiesto, the movie did a good job at capturing that initial shock and confusion all too prevalent during those dark days we’d all rather forget.
Aside from its backdrop, the story told is as formulaic as it gets. We have our two crime-solving leads – One is an angry cynic whose unorthodox methods have a habit of getting him in trouble, and the other is a loyal but slightly more optimistic partner. There’s a kidnapping that turns out to be part of something much more sinister. And, of course, the lead character’s boss is displeased with said methods but lets him get away with it one too many times.
READ: Best Movies on Netflix in 2023
While I found the acting solid, the characters become a bit annoying as the film progresses. During their investigation, they let a suspect go after he gave them the most ridiculous excuse for having tried to kidnap a girl. Samuel is too angry at all times, and we never get his backstory or a reason for his rage, while Marta’s loyalty is unwavering to a fault. They spend little time trying to figure out what’s behind the kidnapping and seem to stumble on each reveal by pure luck, which in turn makes the conclusion and the ending feel unearned.
Is Infiesto good?
Infiesto is not a bad movie, but it’s not groundbreaking, either. Elements of the pandemic are portrayed really well and unnervingly realistic. And if a standard crime thriller with a relatively engaging story and a soothingly familiar formula are what you’re after, this movie delivers.
What did you think of the Netflix film Infiesto? Comment below.
