Parents' Guide to

The Innocent (2021)

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Violent book adaptation has gore, nudity, sex, smoking.

TV Netflix Drama 2021
The Innocent (2021) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • A fight leads to a death.
  • Mateo Vidal.
  • Inspector Ortiz investigates.
  • Olivia Costa.

Community Reviews

See all
age 18+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Ariistra
Ariistra Adult
April 18, 2023
age 18+

Loved it

Man do the Spanish know how to make good thrillers. I'm picky when rating thrillers, I consume them like crazy and I've seek all kinds but this one, I watched every moment I had. 100% recommend. There are 2 cases where you see disfiguration and some parts can be quite violent but it's very interesting.
Chaitanya Ch
Chaitanya Ch Adult
May 16, 2021
age 18+

Too many plots of twists.

It's a limited episodes series. I finished it on sitting. In the beginning I felt boring but from 3rd episode the series got interesting. Screenplay is good. Every episode has a twist.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE INNOCENT, is a limited Spanish drama about a young man whose past returns to haunt him in mysterious ways. Law student Mateo "Mat" Vidal's (Mario Cases) life changes overnight when he gets caught up in a Barçelona night club brawl and accidentally kills a young man named Daniel (Eudald Font). After completing a four-year sentence, he's able to finish law school, and eventually take over his brother Isma's (Jordi Coll) firm. Vidal also falls in love with Olivia Costa (Aura Garrido), who he first met during his bereavement leave from prison. But as his life begins falling into place, strange things start happening, bringing him face-to-face with the past he thought he'd moved beyond. Meanwhile, Inspector Lorena Ortiz (Alexandra Jiménez), an accomplished detective coping with her own former circumstances, begins investigating a case that will eventually lead her to him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This gripping adaptation of the Harlan Coben novel of the same name tells a dense, sophisticated story. With the help of flashbacks, it allows you to revisit key moments in key characters' pasts, which helps make the connections between previous events and what is occurring in real time. But this doesn't necessarily answer all of the questions raised in each plot line, and offers enough surprising twists to keep you questioning everybody's actions, and the motives behind them.

The series does go on too long, making it necessary to revisit things in order to keep up with the bevy of details that keep emerging. But The Innocent isn't meant to be easy viewing. It requires attention, and for viewers to process the graphic violence and explicit content, which is also very intense. This doesn't make it any less entertaining, but it's best left for viewers with the maturity to handle it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about some of the themes in this series. How are the main characters affected by their past? Who is the innocent one?

  • Does a TV series or movie need to include a lot of bloody violence or sex to tell a good story? Why or why not?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate