‘The Invisible Guardian’ Insider Movie Review
A Spanish mystery thriller based on the novel by Dolores Redondo, ‘El Guardián Invisible’
Something dark’s going on near the river Baztan, in Spain. A woman was found murdered near the riverbanks. Mysterious and unusual circumstances surround her death.
Inspector Salazar is on the case. She grew up in that town. Having moved back from the U.S., she now lives with her American husband, James. Salazar is an ex-FBI agent, and her husband is an artist.
The Invisible Guardian is filled with twisted tales of the past. This includes both the myths surrounding Baztan as well as Salazar’s own dark family history.
The movie is directed by Fernando González Molina, The Invisible Guardian has a runtime of 129 minutes. It’s actually based on a popular Spanish novel, El Guardian Invisible, written by Dolores Redondo.
Breaking it all down
I’ll be completely honest …
I felt that this movie was a little bit lacking. The director, Fernando Gonzalez Molina, obviously has lots of technical directing skills. It’s easy to see that he framed his shots very well.
That’s why this movie offers loads of visual appeal. As someone who enjoys noir films, I find The Invisible Guardian visually impressive.
However, it was the narrative that felt a little underwhelming. Early in the movie, the mystery was strong. It keeps viewers on the edge of their seat. But as the movie goes on, that intensity fades away. Some viewers might find it boring after a while. I won’t be surprised if some stop watching completely!
“They found a girl strangled. I have to leave” — Inspector Amaia Salazar
When The Invisible Guardian was released, Spanish thrillers were becoming more popular. Sadly, this movie isn’t as impressive as the ones from other Spanish directors.
The silver lining in The Invisible Guardian is its cast. Marta Etura who plays Inspector Amaia Salazar plays her part perfectly. Just as impressive is the rest of the cast, like Elvira Minguez. She plays Flora Salazar, Amaia’s sister. The chemistry between the two of them is so natural. If someone told me they were sisters in real life, I’d believe them!
On the plus side, this film features lots of strong female characters. That’s not very common in thrillers like these. Quite often, female characters in these movies are just the victims. They are usually seen as easy targets for the villain. In The Invisible Guardian, the opposite is true. As a matter of fact, the male characters can’t handle the pressure they face.
I find this very refreshing. I only wish that a better narrative was written for those female characters.
Sadly, for some moviegoers, great characters aren’t enough. I have to say that this movie doesn’t do justice to the popular novel that the story came from.
Essential Movie Details
By the way… did you know?
- The sequel, “The Legacy of the Bones”, was released in 2019.
- Another sequel, “Offering to the Storm” is delayed until late 2020.
- The movie is directed by Fernando Gonzalez Molina, also known for directing “Palm Trees in the Snow” (2015)
- Lead actress Marta Etura won the Best Supporting Actress at the Goya Awards for her role in “Celda 211” (2009)
In The End
Okay. I’ll stop criticizing this movie because I feel that it’s still worth watching.
Just be sure to not expect too much from it. If you focus on the characters more than the narrative, you’ll enjoy it more. Viewers who focus on the narrative too much might find it difficult to enjoy it.
The portrayal of strong women in this movie is refreshing. I believe this was only possible through good casting. This movie recruited some very impressive actresses. It’s clear that these actresses are talented. They’re also very experienced in the Spanish film industry.
Overall, Spanish thrillers are still very impressive. The Invisible Guardian was just unable to reach the high benchmark set by the rest.
If you’re looking for a better example, check out “The Secret In Their Eyes” (2009). It’s much older than The Invisible Guardian (2017). Still, it’s considered a great example of Spanish thrillers.
Where to Watch
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Ashley Mills grew up in Nevada and graduated with a degree in government from UNLV. After working at Final Cut Magazine as an editorial assistant, she became a freelance writer in California, where she eventually began to write about movies for the Arts & Leisure section of major publications.
In 2015 she became the movie critic at the a popular Northeastern newspaper, where she stayed for nearly two years before moving to Delaware to be the movie critic at a local newspaper. She left in 2019 and began working at Homestream. She writes entertainment pieces on movies, television shows and popular culture.
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