Dropping onto Netflix today is the Spanish drama-thriller mini-series, Muted (aka El Silencio). The series – created by Aitor Gabilondo – stars Arón Piper, Cristina Kovani, Manu Ríos, and Almudena Amor.
In the series, Sergio Ciscar is released from a juvenile detention centre and allowed to re-join society following incarceration for murder. Six years ago, Sergio was found guilty of killing his parents, and he hasn’t spoken a single word about the crime since.
In fact, Sergio hasn’t spoken at all – at least not to anyone in any professional capacity. But is this due to what transpired all those years ago, or is he purposefully remaining silent?
This is a question that a team of operatives assigned to monitor Sergio want to know. Since his release, the team have watched his every move, to learn more about the person once dubbed ‘The Balcony Killer’.
Leading the team is Ana Dussuel – a psychologist who has never been able to get a true understanding of Sergio’s psychological profile. She wants to get to the heart of who he is, and why he committed the crimes he was found guilty of, and makes it her mission to uncover the truth.
As she continues to monitor Sergio, she discovers he has a mysterious connection to a young woman called Marta. But could Marta be the key to learning his deepest, darkest secrets, or is there more to Sergio than there first appears?
Split into six episodes, each clocking in at around the 45-minute mark, Muted is a mini-series which offers plenty of mystery to get audiences hooked. The opening episode sets up the premise quite neatly, explaining who all the key players are, while offering up plenty of questions about Sergio’s personality and his motives.
Although there is a niggling feeling of doubt in Episode One, regarding Sergio’s involvement in his parents’ murder, one thing is clear: He’s an unpredictable person. Because Sergio speaks little dialogue throughout the series, it is difficult to get in his head and this keeps the mystery bubbling along quite nicely.
To add to this, because Ana gets plenty of dialogue to help shape who she is, and she gets plenty of time to make some questionable choices (along with a few other characters), it’s not too long before Sergio becomes a more sympathetic character. After a while you’re never quite sure if to be rooting for Sergio or not, and this keeps things interesting.
As the series progresses, each new episode deepens the mystery and begins to reveal the truth about Sergio. Episode Three offers an important development about his past, which puts the central mystery in a slightly different light, and Episode Four expands upon this.
With Episode Five there is another big revelation, which adds an extra layer to the story, while Episode Six provides the wrap-up. No episode feels wasted, and each is given its own moment to shine.
The tone throughout the mini-series is consistent too. There’s a dark nature to the material, and good dash of suspense, meaning it should appeal to those who like something a bit edgy.
While Muted isn’t mind-blowing stuff, this is a solid series for Netflix. The series has enough material to round out its episode count, Arón Piper is perfectly cast in the lead role of Sergio, and supporting players Almudena Amor (Ana) and Cristina Kovani (Marta) are all on fine form too.
There is enough momentum in the series to see you through from start to finish, and each episode flows into the next quite nicely. With the whole series coming in at around four-and-a-half hours long, it is also something which can be devoured over the course of a weekend, or it can be watched in instalments over a week.
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