The Barrier (2020) User Reviews

Abuelita's Sci-fi TV Novela

[mav1123 · 6/10 · 11 November 2020]

I watched this because I really enjoyed Ministerio Del Tiempo. Unlike Ministerio, The Barrier, often indulges in TV Novela-like melodramatic overacting. I figure one's ability to tolerate this depends on how many hours of TV Novelas one's abuelita subjected him or her to. If you can muscle or fast forward through the overacted parts it's a good show.

Worthy

[Dragonborn64 · 7/10 · 17 October 2020]

Another "coincidentally" eerie pandemic show. Here it's 2045 and society has fallen because of a lingering deadly virus. Martial law is in effect but of course those mostly inconvenienced are the poor. The wealthy make the laws and live as they please. Nobody can be trusted. The usual stuff. Shades of Colony and The Handmaid's Tale. Right down to the little kid the acting is very good.

Good show

[joostice · 8/10 · 21 September 2020]

So far an engaging series. Why anyone would ever want to watch anything that's been dubbed is beyond me. If you are literate enough to write a review then subtitles should not be a problem. Dubbed is always worse. Thank god Netflix allows you to choose.

A pleasant surprise for Netflix

[lostom66 · 7/10 · 14 September 2020]

Well done cinematography acting and overall performance enjoyable. I wish Netflix did more movies like this when they dubbed them in English.

chilling, given where we are in in late 2020

[siraczac · 8/10 · 26 September 2020]

Anyone living in 2020 should not have much trouble envisioning just how humanity got to this post apocalyptic future, complete with virus and totalitarian woke-tocarcy.

Really like this

[leonidasstathopoulos · 7/10 · 18 April 2020]

To the near future, a virus strikes upon the world and a regime takes control A husband loses his wife and separated from his daughter The struggle is about to escalate

I was hooked right at the start

[michaelfrascone · 9/10 · 28 September 2020]

I watch this in Spanish and leave the subtitles in Spanish- great to watch the movie in its native language. The music, the acting, and the cinematography is excellent. I watched the first three episodes in a row and cannot wait for the next one!

Slightly wooden acting and cliched story

[xoancaos · 6/10 · 1 October 2020]

Three episodes in and I'm not sure if I'll carry on with this-the acting is a bit wooden, the story line is a bit cliche and the sets are quite low budget. The opening music is also like something out of kids TV... it's not the most important thing but it has you laughing at the beginning of each episode which I never found when watching the Handmaiden's Tale!

I wanted to like this series.

[jacob-lundqvist · 4/10 · 10 October 2020]

I really want to like this series, the plot is interesting, and quite original. But the cast is just frustrating, or more likely the directions they are given. Constantly over acting on the side of melodrama in almost ridiculous ways. Any normal person would keep a low profile in dangerous situations, but here they throw fits, scream and yell for no good reason, seemingly totally unaware of how much attention they are attracting. It's like these guys have survived hard conditions, but somehow managed to gather exactly zero street smartness. In a society with a strong class system, you can't just ignore your superiors, or challenge them any time you disagree with them, Not that I think it is the right thing to do on a general level, but being constantly melodramatic, is probably not gonna get you far when you live in a police state. Had this been real I doubt many of them would have survived up to the point where the story takes place. What a shame.

I hope for a second season

[nadegebarbera · 10/10 · 20 January 2021]

I loved this show!! I hope they make a second season!!

Enjoyable but their emotional immaturity was tiring

[boydpeters · 6/10 · 22 November 2020]

By episode 3 the contrived plot devices were tiring.

To maintain a semblence of believability in the narrative their impulsive outbursts would have seen them fired 20 times and probably shot 5 times

Mostly infuriating characters

[saintso · 4/10 · 8 December 2020]

I thought this would be a great show since the plot sounded interesting, but I could never get past the fact that the majority of the characters were so brash and annoying. The main male character especially. I can get past the fact that they are going through a difficult time but I wish they would stop making dramatic entrances and yelling every episode. The only character I cared for was Alma who carried the show imo. I wouldn't rewatch this, ever.

Bravo

[pantilt · 27 September 2020]

I was happy to hear the actors speaking their native tongues. Even though I don't speak Spanish the emotions come across. Always happy to read subtitles

Well-paced; somewhat cliched plot; entertaining enough

[luciano-camio · 7/10 · 9 November 2020]

It's not going to become a classic, but it's enjoyable enough. Ángela Molina and -especially- Eleonora Wexler steal the show. Such great actors!

Heavy handed.....

[s3276169 · 6/10 · 22 July 2022]

The Barrier overdoses on an oppressive authoritarianism.

I simply could not get into this series. Its so loaded down with misery and oppressiveness that, for me, it snuffed out any sense of hope.

If its reminiscent of anything, I would say its the superb film adaptation of Orwell book 1984. The contrast, of course, is 1984 is film length version and whilst still not an easy watch, is digestible.

Spread over the length of a series, its exhausting and I feel, a little overstated. Whats also inexplicable, is the often spectacularly stupid and/or reckless moves, made by the main characters. I get that they are desperate but desperation, in this environment, needs to be tempered by caution and reason. How they survive as long as they do, is beyond me.

Acting is excellent, top shelf, as are production values, sets, costumes, etc. Certainly there are bleak aspects, reminiscent of the Fascist Franco-ist period of Spanish history, on offer here.

I'm not rating this series down too far, partly because my response is a personal one. That said, I do stand by my belief that the treatment is somewhat heavy handed and the story lacks a certain credibility.

6/10.

Nice to Earth.

[SvanDtje · 8/10 · 9 November 2020]

Till so far I really like it. I'm watching episode 5 now. I've also watch the Handsmaid Tail, but till so far, I don't see a similarity, like I've read in an other review.

Spanish Holocaust after another world war

[m_winship · 9/10 · 27 September 2020]

This Spanish apocalyptic drama is excellent really, with great facial expressions and mannerisms not seen amongst American actors. The premise of the movie is a futuristic totalitarian government built on the backs of the poor and ethics groups to succeed. (Sound familiar?). Keep an open mind as the lines between black and white aren't readily drawn, and often one has to commit crime for the greater good. This is not Kantian philosophical forces at work here. There is a flexible dichotomy with lying and crime. One must do what is right and lay down ones life if necessary to uphold justice, freedom , morality and ethics. What else is new in world history gone wrong? Pax, Murf

Better than thought it might be..

[cjoypark3-385-566489 · 7/10 · 21 April 2021]

I know this show has many mixed reviews.. some say the actors over acted or made things more dramatic than needed. I do see that sometimes with foreign films and it drives me crazy. I feel it's usually done when the movie was made in another language and they basically did a voice over with English. I'm guessing those who watched it in original Spanish mode/language maybe thought about it differently than those of us who don't speak Spanish.. (wish I did).

So... I see where some were turned off because it seemed some actors were over dramatic. I usually want to give a show a fair chance to impress me and unless it's absolutely horrible.. will commit to watching 2 episodes. After that I decide if I really want to continue.

With this show... the first Episode wasn't my favorite because of what I stated just above (over acting or drama) however I liked where I thought the writer/director etc.. were going with the story. So I watched the 2nd episode and was happy I did. I wish Netflix would have picked it up for another season.

I also wish the USA would teach kids multiple languages starting in pre school or kindergarten. Like other countries. It's usually easier to learn when younger. I would have loved to know Spanish, French, Japanese and maybe Mandarin.

Pretty bad!

[Pat100 · 4/10 · 26 October 2020]

Dystopian facist state for dummies. Reasonable plot but badly done. All the usual formulaic stuff overdone. Faceless, robotic soldiers. Fiendish baddie torturers. 2 dimensional characters. Exaggerated fearsome/tragic eyebrows. The director must have a very low opinion of their audience. I left after 3 episodes.

Real Dystopian

[Pairic · 8/10 · 4 October 2020]

The Barrier: Dystopian series set 25 years after WW3 which along with environmental disaster and viruses laid the ground for a dictatorship to take power (about now) in Spain. Madrid is a grim place for ordinary people but still better than most of the country as a barrier keeps the infected out. Things kick off with an army officer being killed in a sex club, then the Gestapo like police arrive. Conspiracies abound. A real 1984 feel here, the dilapidated city, blood tests, secret experiments. On Netflix. 8/10.

Spanish documentary

[denmaximus-64-755902 · 7/10 · 18 November 2022]

A virus is released into the world, the poor and innocent suffer, the sick are left to die without treatment, authoritarian governments are installed, the classes are segregated, everyone except the so-called elite has their freedoms removed, any protesting is violently suppressed, drones are used, curfews enforced, false propaganda is forced on the people, fear keeps the people under control, travel passes are required to go anywhere, neighbours spy on each other for the government, children are experimented on with vaccines, food shortages, a global depopulation agenda ...

Based on a true story.

Spanish Handmaids tale

[rivelo · 5/10 · 14 October 2020]

Its very obvious the writters have watched the handmaids tale or read the book. the music , the way was filmed and story is like 90% Sadly the acting is terrible, overacting like a mexican telenovela sometimes. the idea is good but it was not well executed. If you liked little bit this show and you have not watched the handmaids tale , please do so.

A good script for 1 ½ hours. They produced 12 hours.

[volvuspa · 7/10 · 18 November 2021]

They had the script for a great movie. Instead, they opted for 13 episodes with the hope of a contract for yet another season. Netflix goes for volume, not quality. My suggestion for a future movie professional: Grab hold of these bloated series, cut out the fillings and make a good movie out of it.

1984 🤔

[lungumarianacristina · 5 April 2021]

I'm the only one who sees lots of similarities with 1984 by George Orwell?

Watching in English. Wish I understood Spanish....

[jmezzatesta · 7/10 · 4 December 2020]

I really like this show. It's very thought provoking. Is it possible something like this could happen in our future? Is something like this already happening? I don't sleep, so I stay up considering the tough questions. So this show has been great to watch..... So why did I give it 7 stars.....??

Good art takes time. And with time you can find actors that perform well. Not to say the Spanish actors are bad, they seem to be great. I just don't understand Spanish. So, once again... Why the 7 stars? I will answer that with a question..... Which idiot decided to make Alma a pompous English woman...? And furthermore, which idiot allowed this ridiculously bad voice over "actor" the role of Alma? She is so bad.... Do bad that I've turn the show off countless times, and we're only in season 1..... GUYS cmon..... She's so bad... How did you decide to choose her? Was the voice over guy sleeping with the director's wife? Was she a producer? How did she even have a high enough profile that you even knew who she was? I've never heard worse voice over acting.... "acting", and I'm a HUGGGEEE Bruce Lee fan.

Please.... Please please please!!!!! Re-upload this series with someone who isn't a stupid rich pompous English dumb dumb.... Please.... I beg of you... From the depths of my heart... She is the ONLY reason the English version of this series is horribly bad!!!! Delete her from this series!!! Please re-upload this without her..... Omg.

I do love this series 😊 but please delete her... Along with Nicola, and all that she stands for