Marshland, film review: Has the feeling of an Iberian True Detective

Alberto Rodriguez, 104 mins, starring Javier Gutierrez, Raul Arevalo, Nerea Barros

Geoffrey Macnab
Monday 10 August 2015 11:33 BST
Comments
Spanish thriller Marshland
Spanish thriller Marshland (Warner Bros)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

This gritty, very intense Spanish thriller has the feel of an Iberian True Detective.

Set in 1980, it follows two grizzled, moustachioed cops, Juan (Javier Gutiérrez) and Pedro (Raúl Arévalo), investigating the disappearance of teenage girls in a remote part of rural Andalusia.

The cops have very different temperaments and their attitudes toward everything from drinking to politics in post-Franco Spain, where democracy hasn’t yet properly taken root, are often at odds.

Plot-wise, Marshland is conventional but it has real texture and atmosphere. The filmmakers are meticulous in their attention to everything from landscape (the flat sun-baked fields and wetlands) to the machismo and lingering fascist sympathies of many of the townsfolk the detectives encounter.

Lyrical and morbid by turns, Marshland is a brooding Spanish film noir with a very strong kick.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in