'Intuition' aka 'La Corazonada' Review: An impressive prequel with ample doses of grit, action and suspense
This review is spoiler-free
'Perdida' was a gritty and violent thriller and matching up with every action bit of the Argentinian thriller is its prequel, 'La Corazonada' aka 'Intuition.' In its attempt to help connect the dots better to its successor, the film doubles up on the crime and suspense by pushing in multiple intense plotlines. While this may sometimes make 'Intuition' a rather complicated story to tell, it does end up tying the knots well enough to make a solid impact.
That isn't to say all the suspense and the dark tones make the film any less entertaining. In a skilled cast, the story progresses and in return, all it asks for is undivided attention. The flaws of 'Perdida' are covered up in this prequel. For instance, the storylines can be connected from frame to frame, there's not a lengthy gap between character conversations and the action is also balanced quite delicately. There's isn't a scrimmage or a gasp-inducing movement every scene giving viewers some breathing space.
'Intuition' showcases Luisana Lopilato's Manuela Pipa Pelari as a rookie cop. Her investigative skills are astute, sharp, but still a work in progress. Her introduction sees her partner up with controversial cop Juanez (Joaquin Furriel) and despite being a crack investigator, he lands himself in the middle of a case, and all along, the department figures out that Juanez is the prime suspect in one of the murders. In a twist of fate, Pipa is asked to investigate Juanez.
The storyline revolves primarily about a 20-year-old's murder and her best friend is accused of killing her. Parallelly, there is a murder just a few hours prior that sees a former convict being killed brutally, and his death has a connection with Juanez. It is revealed the convict was responsible for the death of Juanez's wife and that has changed the cop over time. The department agrees that Juaez has changed his method of work becoming more aggressive and violent.
The onus rests on Pipa to decide whether Juanez is off his hinges or has lost the way in terms of his work. Much of Pipa's impressive abilities in 'Perdida' can be attributed to Juanez as he manages to enhance her observation and investigative skills in 'Intuition'. In a way, the end (which is a secret) is also possible for shaping Pipa and making it a learning curve. The obvious question for the audience who watch the first 15 minutes of the film, will be "What's in store for Juanez?"
Alejandro Montiel, the director keeps things tight. The challenge is to pay attention as the scenes constantly operate between two murders. This becomes a tad too much at times considering Pipa and Juanez solve a crime early on the film. The dark tone complements the story richly highlighting different shades of each character. 'Intuition' might not be a ground-breaking film, but it most definitely merits a watch and is worth a couple of hours.
Our suggestion: Watch 'Perdida' first for better clarity and connect. 'La Corazonada' aka 'Intuition' is available for streaming on Netflix.