Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Solid murder mystery series has cursing, booze, lots of sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
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The Mess You Leave Behind
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Adapted from the award-winning Spanish novel of the same name, THE MESS YOU LEAVE BEHIND (El desorden que dejas) is a dramatic thriller about a teacher committed to uncovering a dark secret. Raquel (Inma Cuesta) moves with her husband Germán (Tomar Novas) to the fictional Galician village of Novariz, his childhood home, after the death of her mother and his father in order to salvage their marriage. She's not very confident about her job, which makes her an easy target for some of the students, including the wannabe-gangster Iago (Arón Piper), his friends Roi (Roque Ruíz), and Nerea (Isabel Garrión). Adding to her stress is the fact that Viruca (Bárbara Lennie), the teacher she is replacing, died under mysterious circumstances only three weeks prior. But when she learns that Viruca's husband Mauro (Roberto Rodriguez) suspects that she was killed, Raquel begins her own private investigation of events. Meanwhile, flashbacks of Viruca's life leading up to her death provides a lot of insight, and points to more potential suspects.
Is It Any Good?
This engaging mystery (which is subtitled in English) takes viewers on a deliberate, slow-paced journey that smoothly reveals both Viruca's and Raquel's stories in their own specific timelines. The narrative highlights the stark differences between them, and the way they are connected. There's plenty of dramatic irony, thanks to the audiences knowing more about Viruca's lived experiences than Raquel or anyone else in the cast.
It's entertaining, but some of the students' behavior, which is mostly designed to highlight Raquel's personal insecurities, is a little tough to negotiate. Meanwhile, folks may find some of Raquel's dream sequences, which sometimes appear as flashbacks, a little confusing, given the constant back-and forth between the two timelines. Nonetheless, The Mess You Leave Behind is still a compelling contemporary whodunit that will keep viewers wondering who is responsible for the victim's death until the end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the differences between TV and movie entertainment from Spain and from the United States. Is there content in Spanish programming that isn't featured in Stateside-produced entertainment? What has contributed to the growing popularity of Spanish TV series in the United States?
The Mess You Leave Behind tells a story consistently using two different timelines. In what ways does it manage to enter and exit from one to the other? Are there ever moments when you find yourself surprised about what timeline the story takes you to?
TV Details
- Premiere date : December 11, 2020
- Cast : Inma Cuesta , Bárbara Lennie , Arón Piper
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 28, 2022
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