When you get to the last two episodes of Netflix’s new limited series 1992, you understand why someone thought it would make a compelling story. As you uncover the serial killer’s motivations and the life events that turned him into a ruthless and monstrous figure, you can fully buy into his motivations and even root for him in a sense. The problem is, in order to get to that point, you need to get through four episodes of nonsense and irritating characters that drive the story nowhere.

1992 takes a symbol from Spanish culture and builds a story around it. In that year, an event in Seville, called Expo ’92, debuted the Curro, a mascot that looked like a bird with a multicolored beak and mane. The Expo’s theme was “the age of discovery,” and its main objective was to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus departing the city’s port to find the Americas. However, the friendly mascot ended up getting a bad rep because it was invited for the maiden voyage of an explorer ship’s replica, which sank less than 30 minutes after it departed.

What Is ‘1992’ About?
Image via Netflix

But what does that Curro business have to do with a Netflix series? Not much, but that’s hardly a problem. In the story, a serial killer starts taking out important executives one by one several years after 1992, and his calling card is a small Curro doll left on the body of the victim. The investigation starts when a woman named Amparo (Marian Álvarez) loses her husband in a strange explosion, later teaming up with Richi (Fernando Valdivielso), a run-down and alcoholic cop.

The first problem of 1992 is that the series doesn’t seem to understand basic concepts of storytelling. The fact that there’s a murder investigation happening doesn’t automatically make a story compelling, but the show seems to think so. Throughout the whole story, we’re not really interested in learning why Amparo’s husband was killed, because Amparo herself doesn’t seem that interested in finding out the answer. Because her starting point is suspicion that her husband is cheating on her, you’re led to believe that she’ll investigate his death out of pure spite — but that doesn’t happen.

The same can be said of Richi, who in theory has something to prove, but it ultimately feels like he decides to investigate the Curro killer because he has nothing better to do. 1992 also wants us to believe that its duo is always one step ahead of the police, when in reality these two characters seem to stumble through life. In a certain part of the investigation, they’re sent to Florida and arrive to heavy winds blowing from an incoming hurricane. They have a problem with the motel they selected, and the receptionist tells them they probably won’t find another place due to the storm, to which Amparo replies, unironically: “What storm?”

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‘1992’ Wastes Too Much Time Getting To Its Best Part
Image via Netflix

1992 isn’t helped by directorial efforts from Álex de la Iglesia and Rodolfo Martínez, which seems to exist under the notion that fewer cuts equal a more boring scene. That’s the only thing that would explain why, over the course of a single, one-minute conversation, more than twenty cuts are made from various angles. It’s a strategy that has the exact opposite intended effect and becomes less interesting the more you wonder how many different angles need to be filmed for one scene.

A lack of understanding also permeates the show’s treatment of its mysterious serial killer. Across more than half of the episodes, you learn nothing about him — except that he bathes in Latex, uses a flamethrower, and has a Curro obsession. He’s not menacing enough to come off as an Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men) and not intriguing enough to keep viewers watching to learn more. His motivation is only discovered after sitting through the first four episodes, during which there is no indication that his backstory will even be addressed. Once that revelation emerges, it’s difficult to wonder why 1992 wasn’t told from his POV from the start, or why the series wasted so much time with two characters who added nothing to the main story.

‘1992’ Boasts a Single Great Episode, and Not Much Else

In the span of one episode, 1992 is able to deliver a tragic story, some surprising entanglements from it, the transformation — both literal and psychological — of the villain, even an explanation of why he chose to kill certain people and spare others, but it shouldn’t have taken so long for the show to get there. The series also commits the cardinal sin of introducing Paz Vega (Kaleidoscope) way too late into its narrative. By far the best actor in the cast, it’s easy to recognize Vega as an interesting addition, but, despite her efforts, she doesn’t contribute all that much and ultimately winds up being forgotten by the show’s end.

For most of its runtime, 1992 feels akin to an overstretched episode of Criminal Minds. The two episodes that really bring something to the table could simply be a movie starring an intriguing antagonist — and maybe featuring better investigators. Saving the best elements for the end works when you have other compelling stories to tell, or when you can craft a slow-burn story that keeps viewers guessing at every turn. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with 1992.

1992 is now available to stream on Netflix.

Your changes have been saved 1992 1992 fumbles its own story by focusing on the wrong characters.ProsThe show constructs a compelling villain arc in final two episodes.Despite not doing much, Paz Vega delivers a strong performance. ConsThe series follows largely uniteresting characters.The story only gains traction in the last two episodes.The main characters don’t seem too interested in solving the case.Scenes feature an irritating excess of cuts to give the illusion of urgency.

Amparo, played by Marian Álvarez, searches for answers after the mysterious death of her husband in an explosion. With the help of Richi, an alcoholic former police officer played by Fernando Valdivielso, he discovers a series of murders in Seville during Expo ’92, where the victims appear burned next to a Curro doll, the event’s mascot.Release Date December 13, 2024 Cast Marian Álvarez , Fernando Valdivielso , Paz Vega , Carlos Santos Main Genre Mystery Seasons 1 Creator(s) Jorge Guerricaechevarría , Álex de la Iglesia

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