I Know Who You Are (2017) User Reviews

An intriguing premise that takes far too long to play out

[rvf35-1 · 6/10 · 4 May 2017]

The premise of "I Know Who You Are" is fascinating. A man is found wandering a few kilometers from the site of a car accident. He apparently suffers from amnesia, unable to say who he is or to recognize any of his family or friends. The wrinkle is that a passenger, his sister-in-law's stepdaughter, was apparently in the car as well, according to blood stains found on the seat, yet is nowhere to be found. What happened? Is this man really suffering from amnesia? And where is the missing young woman?

The series would have been perfect for 10-12 70-minute episodes but unfortunately drags on for 16. Just as the intrigue hits its peak, the storyline gets bogged down in too many plot twists and turns that take far too long to unravel. Although the final episode neatly wraps up the mystery, you have to plow through a number of episodes where the plot winds and wanders before you get to the conclusion.

Another aspect of the series that makes it tough to swallow is that there isn't a single likable character in the bunch. While the actors who play the leads are quite good at their craft, the characters they play are far from sympathetic.

Overall, I liked "I Know Who You Are" despite its flaws. The first eight or so episodes as well as the final episode are brilliantly done, and the cast is first-rate. While the series gets a bit too clever with all its plot twists, at least the ending is satisfying enough to merit a mildly positive (6 out of 10 stars) rating.

Looking forward to the remaining 6 episodes

[nigehoward · 8/10 · 14 August 2017]

Really enjoyed the first 10 episodes albeit annoyed with the BBC that originally their website suggested episode 10 was the series finale. Glad that they have now clarified on the website " When will the remaining episodes of I Know Who You Are be shown? I Know Who You Are will return to BBC Four later this year. The programme was originally produced as two seasons, however, its Spanish broadcaster subsequently decided to show both together as one long season. BBC Four is showing the final six episodes as series two. We'll update this FAQ when we have more information." http://www.bbc.co.uk/faqs/i-know-who-you-are

Pretty good thriller series with unstopped intrigue , emotion , mayhem and suspenseful

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 14 December 2019]

"I know who you are" is a thriller with a lot of twists and turns. Stars Francesc Garrido as Juan Elias , a professor who ends up at hospital after a car crash . Nowadays , Elias doesn't knows his identity , but soon learned he is a notorious University Professor and an advocate at law, along with colleague Ramón Saura and also professor played by Nancho Novo , who is married to Silvia Castro : Mar Sodupe, sister of Judge Alicia Castro . As Juan Elias is married to a prestigious judge , Blanca Portillo , and both of them have two children , Pol and Julia .Then a girl called Ana , Ramón Saura : Nancho Novo's daughter , has disappeared and nobody knows about her . But ,things go wrong when a Police Inspector , Pepon Nieto, begins suspecting he killed his missing niece called Ana Saura : Susana Abaitua. Another main role results to be Eva Durán : Aida Folch , a young solicitor , Elias' lover , who becomes involved in most intrigues and conflicts....

Top-notch , tense television series in which step by step suspense and mystery stars to be unfolded until a moving finale with no rest. This is a nice Thriller series in 16 episodes with plenty of tension, intrigue , shocks and plot twists. Well paced series with a lot of surprises that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish .It is a highly cerebral and mysterious thriller filled with cliffhangers , plot twists and unexpected denouement un its ending part . The original as well as entertaining premise is overspread throughout the movie , adding some brief convencional pitfalls . This nice series is frankly good , though sometimes confusing and repetitive, as well as overlong , as sixteen episodes turn out to be too much . Two main protagonists, Francesc Garrido and Blanca Portillo give terrific acting . Support cast is pretty good such as Aida Folch as an intelligent advocate , Nancho Novo as father of the missing girl , Eva Santolaria as a Public Prosecutor , Antonio Dechent as a cunning lawyer, Álvaro de Luna as the imprisoned grandfather , Pepon Nieto as a tough cop, Mar Sodupe , Susana Abaitua , Macarena Gómez, Biel Duran, Diana Gómez, Nausicaa Bonin , Susana Becquer , among others .The series was well written , produced and directed by Pau Freixas. He is a good Spanish TV director who has written , produced and directed important series , such as : Días de Navidad , Citas , La Fuga , Pulseras Rojas, Los Misterios de Laura , Hermanos y Detectives , Ris Cientifica . And occassionally for cinema such as : Heroes , Cámara Oscura , and Cactus . Rating 7/10 . Better than average . Well worth watching .

Excellent - one of the best mystery series

[bmcintosh-35076 · 10/10 · 27 August 2017]

From the beginning a story-line that draws you in and holds you spellbound. Later on, it does get complicated - if you're the kind that likes involved mystery plots then you'll love it.

It is a dark piece and it is true that one can't actually warm to many of the characters – even the victims usually have their dark side.

I like the skillful changes of pace throughout, you're never more than a short time away from the next gripping high point but there are plentiful pauses to help you assimilate what is going on.

I thought most characters were acted very well indeed. The main character Juan Elias played by Francesc Garrido I've seen described as "wooden" but I thought that this was actually a deliberate reflection of his inscrutable screen persona. As he is faced with more challenges later in the series I think you can really see the subtlety in how Francesc portrays him.

Like many I was very disappointed to be left hanging at the end of episode 10. I speak Spanish and soon discovered that in Spain there were another six episodes available. The story-line up to the last episode in the UK did not make it a natural moment to break the series.

In answer to previous questions I can confirm that if you purchase the box set of DVDs from Spain, with the title and packaging in Spanish – containing 6 DVDs you will get all episodes 1-16.

The UK version contains fewer CDs and 10 episodes. To be clear – the Spanish release does not, I repeat, does not have English subtitles. I found the dialogue and the plot a bit too fast to follow comfortably in Spanish as I am not a native speaker, but there are Spanish subtitles intended for the hard of hearing. I used these and it made all the difference. No difficulty in following the dialogue. I doubt that beginner or intermediate Spanish would suffice.

The 6 disc version is available on some Spanish websites with delivery to the UK. Or try ebay - search for 6DVD set Se Quien Eres.

Masterpiece

[bojana_saljic · 10/10 · 4 February 2019]

Fabulously layered script, unpredictable till the end, evolving characters, superb casting with briliant Blanca Portillo (Almodovar's Volver). I wouldn't like to be a member of that familly though...

Incomplete

[billneilson · 7/10 · 14 August 2017]

The reason that the BBC version is only 10 episodes is not because it is edited, it is because they have left off the final six.

The mystery is solved in the tenth episode, but from bits and pieces on the Telecinco website, you can work out that there are a lot more twists and turns to follow.

Perhaps the BBC decided that the plot twists were already dizzying enough and no more was needed. I was reasonably satisfied with the 10- episode ending, but it does not correspond to the 16-episode one.

Riveting!!

[omiller-14603 · 10/10 · 12 August 2017]

I am hooked, completely hooked! Pure intrigue... I can see from other reviews that not everyone's cup of tea, however it had me glued!Good old fashioned 'who done it'... which leaves you wondering for the entire series, did he do it? Is he just a very clever liar, or a wronged man with a less than spotless past.. looking forward to series 2!

Great story, bad acting

[karicardenas · 6/10 · 13 February 2023]

10 for a great storyline but oh my god some of the acting was horrendous. Whoever played Ana, Eva and Marc were all so over the top melodramatic it was almost unwatchable when they were in screen. Ana is the worst cryer, whiner, beggar ever. Eva talks like a robot and over enunciates the last couple words of every sentence. Marc just overacts all his scenes that it's totally unbelievable. And not just those three, but every single character is unlikable. I'm from Spain and I can tell you that I don't know anyone this nasty or who talks in this weird way. From the main character to the little sister, they are all equally horrible. One girl gets together with her brother, cousin and uncle. One guy has sex with his wife and girlfriend the same day and bounces back between them every other day. One guy tries to kill his aunt and cousin. I could go on and on. The story is a good thriller with a lot of surprises and keeps you guessing, it's just the characters and some actors make it hard to watch.

loved it!

[celmaibundintrepamanteni · 10/10 · 14 January 2018]

Really enjoyed the episoades, seen them all in one week, couldn t stop watching. Great job, actors, performing. Spain, keep up the good work!

Intrigue; performances; plot too involved

[soranamicooper · 6/10 · 8 August 2017]

I'm at a crossroads with this. I tuned in to hear some Spanish and got quite hooked on the story, as there was some real intrigue and the potential for a good yarn. However, I'm just over halfway through the series and it seems to have deteriorated into a 'whodunnit' with so many characters and possible motives being thrown at the audience, through its time shifts to before and after the crime, as to become quite tiresome. It's a shame, as there is much good about the show, not least some of the acting, which is excellent; but as others have pointed out, it badly needs an edit to condense it down to a more manageable duration. It takes real skill to draw out a story for as long as this without losing the audience's attention and in this viewer's case I'm not sure I care enough any longer to find out who did it. I've picked up a few handy Spanish colloquialisms on the ride so far, though, which I'll put to use on my next Iberian foray.

Probably the best tv show i have seen in the past few years.

[omidvd · 10/10 · 14 January 2019]

Good, thick and complex plot, impressive acting skills. very well recommended.

Enjoyable but with many faults

[sandokanfirst-13548 · 7/10 · 29 August 2017]

It is quite rare for the BBC to broadcast Spanish drama. I don't know the overall quality of TV shows in Spain, but I must say that although I like this one, it has many flaws. One of the most obvious is that someone is charged for a murder, when there isn't even a body. This is highly unlikely and yet this aspect gets almost no attention.

And what's with the whole rigmarole that Elias after the accident wants to be different from the man he used to be? This seems an important point, but is then discarded at the end. Am I missing something here?

While this show's flaws have mainly to do with the script, its strong point is its acting, which is credible throughout.

Why does Eva dress like a bag lady?

[jiballini64 · 4/10 · 14 April 2020]

So, this chick, Eva, is supposed to be a s*^t hot lawyer and she dresses like a uni student who can't even get a job waitressing! She also walked around with a permanently confused/bewildered expression except when she was having a tantrum. She annoyed the bejeezus outta me. Then there's her business partner, who has sex with EVERYONE - his staff, old mate Eva, the other prosecutor - all very professional NOT. The lass who is missing comes across as a spoiled tart so I didn't really care if she was found or not nor who was responsible. All the characters were fairly unlikeable so it was hard to care who did what to whom or who was guilty of what. It's good if you want to practice your Spanish!

Excellent Spanish thriller

[Cinebuff38 · 10/10 · 1 December 2017]

It would appear that the IMDb reviewer Mark W from Portland Oregon expects every crime story to have a realistic happy ending where all the villains are carted away in handcuffs with a possible punishment that regards them languishing in prison for many years, and in the real world such people deserve that outcome.

It would also seem that Mark W must be so engrossed in all the American s**t filling our cinema and TV screens and at a guess doesn't watch much material not in the English language that he wouldn't appreciate an excellent thriller if it hit him in the face.

Francesc Garrido plays Juan Elias Who, Suffering from amnesia in the wake of the disappearance of Ana Saura (Played by Susana Abaitua). Elias remembers via a flash back that Ana witnessed him killing a man who was blackmailing him and so had her locked in a basement to prevent her from turning him in to the police.

The whole thriller was Brilliantly written and executed with each episode providing a roller coaster of twists and turns with Garrido who managed to maintain a poker face throughout.

If Mark W was paying close attention, he would have a better understanding of the ending. But, especially for Mark W, and at the risk of spoiling it for people who have yet to see it, I will endeavour to explain.

Firstly, Ana made after she denied that elias had anything to do with her kidnapping, she made a video recording revealing the truth, and gave it to a notary for safe keeping. Ana told elias of the notary and that she would have his sordid secret kept provided that she is given equal partner ship in the firm of solicitors in whish Elias was a principal player.

Secondly, She decided to blame her ordeal on a man who had already spent several years in prison, and while nothing more was said of this, you have to read between the lines and assume that was the accepted explanation and that the person they decided to blame was OK with it.

With regards to the man who stabbed Alicia Castro,(played by Blanca Portillo, You have to consider that he was banged to rights.

Taking this into account one has to conclude that there was no happy nor sad ending, just an ending which left the main villain with possible justice hanging over his head. Yes He gets away with it, but for how long?!.

.. you are going to be quite pleased

[bjarias · 8/10 · 25 September 2018]

..for this type of foreign language film.. the timing of subtitles is critical

..in a tense psychological drama.. when you need to read all the dialogue, and follow along in the movie.. that timing can make or break the experience.. no fear, like most all else with this production.. it is right on-the-mark

..all the cast does extremely good work.. the plot and script will lead you all over the place.. the actors are the ones keeping you engaged each episode..

..and she might be slight-of-body.. but she captures the entire screen every scene she's in... Susana Abaitua will have quite a career if she handles it right..

Good...but way too long + 2 really annoying actresses

[rklemm05 · 7/10 · 8 April 2020]

Loved the beginning, it would have made a great 8 episode serie. But for whatever reason, they decided to turn it into a 16 very long episodes. Especially the last 6 ones are sloppy, confusing. Come on, spit it out, stop beating around the bush!

And what about a change of clothes from time to time, dears? All the characters wear the same ones all over the show!

Last but not least, two characters made it much less enjoyable than it could have been:

Eva Duran, with her always sad angry face, sad angry eyes and sad angry hairdo, yelling all the time, just unbearable. And this ridiculous little bag she's carrying all the time, during trials, investigations, as well as this awful brown-ish coat,. She's supposed to be sooo hot. Well, she's sooo not. She's dull, insignificant, annoying.

And Marta Hess. Lo and behold, here comes the smartest one in the room (in every room, for that matter), walking like she owns the world, always a smirk on her face that makes you want to slap her. And yes, she's got a leather jacket, if you didn't notice it. Who casted that drag of an "actress"?

The problem with these kind of details (some would say), is that once you saw them, you can unsee them, and they spoil the fun big time.

Could have been finished in 5 episodes

[maxvonins · 12 August 2017]

Started off well but found story too drawn out, the characters not very interesting and by the last episode really couldn't have cared less what happened to Ana.

Saturday night is the worst evening for TV please bring back some superb Scandi noir series - no more Inspector Montalbano either !!

shortchanged by BBC4!

[davidbryanwhitlam · 8/10 · 21 August 2017]

Real cliffhanger, this one, as we wonder whether Juan Elias really has amnesia or not. There are many angry characters in the plot, there is permanent intrigue among the legal profession and not too many characters to fall in love with, though there are one or two.

My dilemma is that now, after the cliffhanging episode 10 , the BBC has decided to call the next 6 episodes 'Series 2'. In Spain I believe episodes 11-16 just carried on. Why have they done this?

So, if anyone reads this, I have a question: if I buy the full DVD set direct from Spain (which is available), will I get all 16 episodes and find out what happens?

Great mystery, police thriller, spoiled by bad casting

[casch0101 · 6/10 · 4 November 2018]

Were it not by a misleading casting of one character, this could have been a wonderful thriller. I am sorry, but the actress performing the Judge Castro character displays such a profound lesbian look and persona, that makes it impossible to swallow the several hetero flirting scenes she is on. She looks like a man (in fact, she has performed on theater stage as one many times). For a sweet and warm mom of a boy and a young girl, who is also a stern Judge and terribly unethical and cinical woman, the character asked for Laura Linney, or Meryl Streep or Glenn Close type of actress. All scenes with this actress are somewhat disturbing because of the paradox of watching a manly person acting as if a nice and cute milf. So, the above mentioned scenes look amazingly fake, and it weakens the whole story.

The (spoilt) rich cry too aka Family is everything

[BeneCumb · 8/10 · 4 March 2018]

One of the mentioned aboved could be the subheading of this series, but of course, as we do here with versatile and competent work, the number of "undercurrents" is far more bigger. The thrill and excitement are there and generally maintained (well, the episodes could have been sometimes shorter), and it is catchy to follow how things get intertwined, and you begin to ponder on and over how you would respond to so various events and matters. Its solid script does not let the characters to divide into "the good" and "the bad", and even youngsters are drawn in hypocritical solutions of adults. The ending is realistic as well, different from e.g. US series.

The cast is even as well; as I have not seen too many Spanish films or series, all performers were new to me. Here, female performances tend to be more vigourous and versatile, particularly Blanca Portillo as Alicia Castro and Aida Folch as Eva Durán.

As the pre-amnesia episodes were a bit tardy and thus less interesting, so "only" 8 points from me. But anyway, a good series, recommended to those wishing to "move beyond" UK/Nordic approaches and values.

Convoluted crime mystery

[jgw321 · 7/10 · 19 November 2017]

A man has amnesia after a car accident and does not remember who he is but is suspected of having murdered his missing niece.

This was shown on BBC4 as 10 episodes of series 1 (truncated, not abridged, from the original Spanish 16 episode series). Many reviewers on IMDb thought this was the complete story and were disappointed by the cliff hanger (demise of a character), which they assumed was the resolution. The BBC have now shown the second part (series 2, with episodes 11 to 16, in Spain they had all sixteen sequentially) and so the series can now be judged properly. The reviews that assume it was edited down to ten episodes are flawed themselves.

This is a long story with a contorted plot, with many twists. This is not an American thriller, with cardboard cut out characters where everything depends on the action, this is European where the characters are complex and irrational, as humans are, and it is all about how they inter react. If you are impatient and like the plot to unfold quickly before you, you may find this hard going or tedious, particularly if you can't relate to the characters, which is hard in this production. If however you enjoy following through all the possibilities as they open up, only to find a dead end and have to look for another route, then you may enjoy this.

There are plenty of twists in this story which are often dealt with in an episode; a twist occurs as a cliff hanger at the end, or at the start, of an episode and then is worked out during the episode. There is little reworking of events that happened several episodes away, so that you have forgotten them, and the twist produced like a rabbit out of a hat. These are done in full view which needs more skill and imaginative writing.

The characters are a problem, they are in the main hard to empathise with. An example is Marta Hess (well played by Eva Santolaria) an attractive woman, but with unlikable behaviour and always smirking. The two main characters are very well portrayed Juan (Francesc Garrido) and Alicia (Blanca Portillo). Juan is a quiet, cool character (appropriate for a lawyer) but very active inside his head, you can see it in his eyes, continually scheming and looking for his best advantage. "Inscrutable" was how another reviewer described him. His wife is more ebullient, but a very hard person and is not to be taken advantage of. As the series progresses we discover that they didn't get where they are, top lawyer and judge, by serving tea to the vicar. By the end of the series these are perhaps the two you can most empathise with; their morals may be different to yours but you can understand why they are like they are, they care about their own family and will do anything to preserve and promote it.

As the series nears the end, things start to slot into place and you can sense a resolution coming. However it does not appear as you might be anticipating and it is left ready for a second series. I am not sure if there will be one (third in the BBC way of reckoning), but it is possible, there is the interaction of Juan and Anna to play out.

Excellent thriller on the level of Breaking Bad. Don't miss it!

[vova-632-382194 · 10/10 · 11 June 2019]

If Spanish TV continues to make excellent series like La Casa de Papel and this one they will take over the leadership from famed British TV series and that haven't been so productive of late. Where are new Morse, Prime Suspect, House of Cards and the like? This show has great story, not a wasted episode and great acting lead and supporting. There's something brewing in Spain and it may be new revolution in TV. entertainment

Leaves You Up in the Air

[jamesmaker-13577 · 7/10 · 13 August 2017]

I rarely watch a series unless I find it compelling; I'm not one to commit to several Saturday nights, but we have iPlayer. I followed all 10 episodes over five weeks, having been grabbed by the first few episodes. I speak Spanish, so it was good to 'refresh' every week. I thought the acting was first-rate and the cinematography was good. Great to see Blanca Portillo (Almodóvar's 'Volver') in a strident role. I haven't seen the original 16-episode version broadcast in Spain, but I thought the plot had become just a little too convoluted, perhaps? I enjoyed it until the last 20 minutes of the final episode, which left the viewer, or certainly me, with no proper conclusion, 'dejándonos en el aire'. Is Alicia alive or dead? What becomes of Ana Saura? Is Juan Elías re-arrested? This is forgivable if a second season is in the offering, but I've read from Spanish news sources that the second season will take the form of a novel, rather than a TV series. I'm a reader, but I find this disappointing, and won't bother chasing it up.

Over long and ridiculous plot

[jhenchard · 3/10 · 20 November 2017]

Started off well enough and had the opportunity to become a well constructed thoughtful drama.

Unfortunately it is marred by having the most ridiculous plot and trying to be far too clever. I really was trying not to laugh too hard when it turns out Ana has been kept in a basement prison for nearly 2 weeks with no sign of food or water, no signs of excrement, no dirty clothes and immaculately clean hair. Of course the captor just happens to have a medical drip handy as well when he returns to her.

Not to mention a police station where just about anyone can walk about at will it seems and a plot that is generally bonkers. 16 episodes of this was way too much. Do something better with your life is my advice.

"Tell me, who are you? (who are you? who, who, who, who?)"

[morrison-dylan-fan · 10/10 · 5 January 2018]

After the extraordinary Follow The Money ended earlier this year,I began to wonder if I would find any other series screened in 2017 that would match the quality of FTM. Whilst reading up about what UK DVD/Blu-Ray company Arrow were putting out later this year,I found a number of reviews highly praising a recently aired Spanish Neo-Noir "mini-series" that Arrow were to put out soon. Recently impressed with the Spanish Neo-Noir film The Body,I got set to see the genre presented in an extended format.

The plot:

On a road police are told of a man walking round who appears completely disorientated. Taking him to hospital,it is soon discovered that the man has lost his memory,and does not even know his name. Finding that he matches the description of mega-lawyer Juan Elías. Calling his family in, Elías looks at all of them like total strangers. Last seeing him in the final day of a college president election,the family ask him where he has been,but just get a blank look. As cops try to re-trace Juan's steps,they find out that Elías niece Ana Saura went missing on the same day,and has yet to be found.

View on the mini-series:

Planned as two 10 ep seasons but changed to one 16 ep "mini-series" due to differences with the network,the writers (led by co-director Pau Freixas & Pol Cortecans) incredibly build the themes of the series with a consistent tone that spans episodes with movie-worthy run times of 78-110 minutes. Finding Juan on the road as a Neo-Noir loner with no memory of the shadowy figures and events in his past, the writers display a sharp precession in placing together all of the fractured puzzle pieces in Juan's family and business activities. Threading Juan regaining his memory with the missing Saura,the writers give the mystery a Nordic Noir atmosphere, by Saura's disappearance being tangled with the murky dealings of Elías clan.

Striking at the heart of this Neo-Noir epic with a richly cynical,sun-kissed final, the writers give each Elías family member a jet-black line in ruthlessness,from son Pol's doubts over Juan's lost memory,to mother Alicia ruling the family with an iron fist. The only figure Juan remembers, Aida Folch gives a splendid performance as Juan's former lover Eva Durán,whose lingering love for Juan is given seeds of doubt by Folch over the honesty of his missing memory. Whilst not having the look of a Femme Fatale, Blanca Portillo gives a thunderous performance as Alicia,with Portillo subtly changing the tone of her voice in each exchange,to pull the person Alicia is targeting tightly round her Femme Fatale fingers. In the middle of an outstanding ensemble cast, Francesc Garrido draws an incredibly complex Neo-Noir loner in Juan Elías, thanks to Garrido giving Juan a psychological depth with an enticing, simmering calmness,which keeps his true motives just out of sight from family and friends,as Juan Elías remembers who you are.