Netflix: Review of THE BAZTAN TRILOGY: Fatal Folklore

August 6, 2020

The Baztan Trilogy refers to a best-selling series of three crime novels written by Dolores Redondo, released from 2013 to 2014 in Spain, and in the following years, internationally. Much like other successful novels, their eventual adaptation to film was not far behind. The first film, "Invisible Guardian" (2017) was released on Netflix in 2019. The second film "Legacy of the Bones" (2019) and the final film "Offering to the Storm" (2020) were both released on Netflix just earlier this year.

In the first film, police inspector Amaia Salazar (Marta Etura) was assigned the case of a young girl found dead and ritualistically positioned on the bank of the River Baztan. There were uncanny similarities to a case from one month ago, as well as a series of cold cases from several years back, prompting police to suspect a serial killer who had revived his old modus operandi. Salazar had to return to her hometown of Elizondo to lead the investigation. Along with her artist boyfriend James (Benn Northover), she lived in the house of her kindly old aunt Tia Engrasi (Itziar Aizpuru), located near their late father's bakery currently run by her two elder sisters, Flora (Elvira Minguez) and Rosaura (Patricia López Arnaiz). 

Going back to her childhood home brought back bitter issues from the past, particularly her traumatic relationship with their abusive, mentally-disturbed mother Rosario (Miren Gaztanaga). Amaia also had to deal with deeply problematic family and professional issues. Her eldest sister Flora harbored deep resentment against Amaia for perceived abandonment of filial duty. Aside from her loyal deputy Jonan Etxaide (Carlos Librado aka Nene), the other men under her command question her authority, particularly  senior detective Montes (Francesc Orella).

In the second film, Amaia was handling the case of a witch cult desecrating churches with skeletons of babies. There was also an associated case of women murdered with their arm cut off by their husbands, who then committed suicide. The investigation led to the discovery of a tragic detail of Amaia's own family history which had long been unrevealed. Amidst threats of torrential rains, flash floods and her own baby Ibai's safety, Amaia faced up against Vatican psychiatrist Fr. Sarasola (Imanol Arias), as she became aware that Judge Javier Markina (Leonardo Sbaraglia) was getting too close for her comfort.

In the third film, Amaia was still faced by cases of babies being murdered by families, apparently members of a cult who believed that this grisly sacrifice will help them become more wealthy. Amaia again had to go through family (disagreements about their mother) and professional conflicts (accusations of leakage of police plans), which led to her to making very poor decisions in her investigation and in her life, which also put her relationship with James at risk. The characters of the amorous judge Javier and Amaia's loyal right-hand-man Jonan get very prominent roles in this series conclusion. 

Directed by Fernando Gonzales Molina, the Baztan Trilogy had an interesting inherent premise. Crime stories with involvement of the Catholic religion always had a fascinating appeal, much like the Dan Brown's books. Inclusion of Basque folklore, like the basajaun (Bigfoot-like guardian of the forest), tarttaro (a man-eating cyclops), or Mairu-beso (arm of an unbaptized newborn as a charm) add to its interest. The camera work is frequently dark as many scenes were shot at night or torrential rains. The execution of the flash flooding of Elizondo in Part 2 was excellently done. The series started strong with "Invisible Guardian," but the momentum just sort of got bogged down with each succeeding installment, particularly the last one. 

The Invisible Guardian: 7/10
The Legacy of Bones: 7/10
Offering to the Storm: 6/10