The movie "La playa de los Ahogados" is a thriller directed by Gerardo Herrera and based on the novel of the same-named novel by Domingo Pilar. It is a movie originally filmed in Spanish, that combines suspense and attention to Galician culture with well done visuals and flawless acting. The movie was released on the 10 October 2015 in Spain, deputing not only in spanish, but also in catalán and gallego. It follows a slow paced investigation of the murder of a fishermen, where the clues towards the mystery get unraveled at slow pace throughout the plot.
The movie starts off with the main character, investigator Leo Caldes, being informed about a body appearing at the beach. Initial clues all point to suicide, however Caldes is not convinced and starts off an investigacion very much in gallego style: slow paced, without rush. This is very contradictory to the way his partner, Rafael Estevés, is used to handling things. His straightforward, aggressive and sometimes rude personality is very different from Caldes patient and slow way of proceeding.
Throughout the course of the movie, we learn that the victim is a fisherman named Justo Castelo. He's a man that rarely seems to be social and values his privacy, but never seems to cause trouble or alarm either. We also learn about a past story that relates the victim to three other fishermen, who together witnessed the death of their captain out at sea. Parts of this past occurence do not seem to make sense all the way, and Caldes continues investigating along this path. Step by step, all the puzzle pieces start coming together and possible suspects of the crime get narrowed down.
The movie incorporates a strong feeling of mistrust. Mistrust in the mysteriously appeared body, in the stories of the accused, in the world as a whole. Galician stereotypes are also embedded into this movie, with their tendency for being superstitious being alluded to. There is also a strong feeling of loneliness conveyed: loneliness at sea, loneliness in society, loneliness driven by fear of abandonment and judgement. A fear that drives friend groups apart and keeps secrets close. The cinematography adds to this dark setting: rainy, cloudy weather, stormy seas - all very typical for Galicia.
The only negative thing I have to add, is that the slow paced investigation does seem to be too stretched at times. While it alludes too the Galician way of life, the plot seemed to stretched out at times, while the resolvance of the murder seems to be squished into the last ten minutes of the movie.
The movie starts off with the main character, investigator Leo Caldes, being informed about a body appearing at the beach. Initial clues all point to suicide, however Caldes is not convinced and starts off an investigacion very much in gallego style: slow paced, without rush. This is very contradictory to the way his partner, Rafael Estevés, is used to handling things. His straightforward, aggressive and sometimes rude personality is very different from Caldes patient and slow way of proceeding.
Throughout the course of the movie, we learn that the victim is a fisherman named Justo Castelo. He's a man that rarely seems to be social and values his privacy, but never seems to cause trouble or alarm either. We also learn about a past story that relates the victim to three other fishermen, who together witnessed the death of their captain out at sea. Parts of this past occurence do not seem to make sense all the way, and Caldes continues investigating along this path. Step by step, all the puzzle pieces start coming together and possible suspects of the crime get narrowed down.
The movie incorporates a strong feeling of mistrust. Mistrust in the mysteriously appeared body, in the stories of the accused, in the world as a whole. Galician stereotypes are also embedded into this movie, with their tendency for being superstitious being alluded to. There is also a strong feeling of loneliness conveyed: loneliness at sea, loneliness in society, loneliness driven by fear of abandonment and judgement. A fear that drives friend groups apart and keeps secrets close. The cinematography adds to this dark setting: rainy, cloudy weather, stormy seas - all very typical for Galicia.
The only negative thing I have to add, is that the slow paced investigation does seem to be too stretched at times. While it alludes too the Galician way of life, the plot seemed to stretched out at times, while the resolvance of the murder seems to be squished into the last ten minutes of the movie.