‘The Asunta Case’ Netflix Series Review - Bad Parents

I often find myself feeling uncomfortable while watching a Netflix series based on a real-life tragedy. This should not be taken as a compliment because my discomfort arises from the execution of the events. Instead of illuminating the circumstances sensitively, the Netflix shows indulge in sensational button-pushing. They like to reduce viewers to gossipers or conspiracy theorists. This concept of generating "content" out of someone's misery comes across as cheap, which is why I almost always feel like taking a shower after sitting through such a Netflix series.

The Asunta Case is one such example. It's about the Asunta Basterra case, in which it was found that a young girl named Asunta was murdered by her adoptive parents. Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra are those parents. Did they really murder their child? Or were the police officers too incompetent? Don't look at The Asunta Case for accurate answers. Candela Peña (as Rosario) and Tristán Ulloa (as Alfonso) don't reveal much about their characters. They are confined within the lurid boundaries of the script, so all they do is act guilty or innocent as per the demands of the situation. In fact, none of the actors manage to leave a dent. They are all used as functional puppets. Malvar (Javier Gutiérrez), a judge, acts like those unidimensional villains who make villain-like faces. Cristina (María León) and Rios (Carlos Blanco) behave like dutiful police officers who carefully follow all the orders. Since Malvar wears a punchable face, Juanjo becomes a hero through his sharp criticisms directed towards the angry judge.

The Asunta Case drops details like breadcrumbs meant to be picked up, overly analyzed, and discussed by the audience. We are not just plainly told about Rosario's instability and pills prescribed by a psychiatrist. We are forcefully nudged to come up with juicy speculations. When Rosario mentions her affair, the show says, "Ahem, now what can you make out of that?" There are times when The Asunta Case explicitly offers topics for your discussions through its characters. One of those topics is "Do real parents love more than adopted parents?" It's no accident that Rios has a young daughter, and Malvar has an old dad. In one of the scenes in the series, Malvar puts this line forward as a motive for murder: "They had enough of parenting." Given how the judge takes care of his father, we are probably meant to think, "This man, too, seems fed up with 'parenting' his father. Does this mean he will kill him?"

From the word go, The Asunta Case maintains a sensational mood, which makes everything monotonous. The scenes don't unfold; they scream ("Look how the judge is blaming the parents!" "Look how the father and the mother are exchanging secret looks!" "Look how poor Rosario is crying for her medications in her cell!"). Still, the penultimate episode turns out to be the most vile, the most shameless thing you will see in a Netflix series. The theories regarding how the murder could have been committed are shown to us visually, and it looks cheaper than a tabloid. And as far as the courtroom sequences are concerned, they drain away your energy. The last episode takes place inside the court, and it converts all the characters into talking heads who dispense information in a way that feels like they are feeding the tattler present within the audience. In the end, I didn't care if the parents were guilty or innocent. I was simply repulsed by The Asunta Case.

Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times