Netflix's '42 Days of Darkness' Review: Heady and thoroughly compelling crime drama
Netflix's '42 Days of Darkness' is brutal. The tonality is grey, it's like the color drained from the face when fear envelops an individual. It's that sudden cold grip that immediately paves the way to the realization that something is woefully wrong, and at the end of the series, can only be admired for some impeccable storytelling. Directed by Gaspar Antillo and Claudia Huaiquimilla, the Chilean crime drama resides in that place where judgment is clouded by emotions more so than logic and reasoning. It's one person's view that often clashes with the others, and that friction forms the crux of the story.
The story in itself is pretty straightforward. The series is loosely based on the disappearance and death of Viviana Haeger in 2010 and investigations follow. It initially looked like an abduction, and 42 days later, she was found dead on the roof of her own home. The Netflix series derives inspiration from journalist Rodrigo Fluxám's 2019 book, 'You Know Who: Notes on the Homicide of Viviana Haeger', and the serialized version has characters with different names, but a similar storyline.
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Veronica Montes (Aline Küppenheim) is married to Mario Medina (Daniel Alcaíno), and the show dates back a decade. Her daughter, Kari comes home to notice her mother missing and with the house looking as if it is turned inside out, assumes that Veronica was kidnapped. She frantically calls her aunt Cecilia (Claudia Di Girólamo) and informs her father of her disappearance as well. Mario heads to the police and soon after, a thorough investigation follows, but with differing opinions and some less credible than the others.
What baffles the authorities is the case itself. Set in Altos Del Lago, a rather posh locality where crimes are as rare as more than four hours of sunlight in Iceland. Adding to this is the rapid spread of news that gets the media involved. The series also shows the darker side of how the media's relentless reportage comes at a cost. The crime is also a chance for Victor Pizarro, an attorney with a dwindling career to make up for some lost strides in his journey. He enlists the help of his two trusted colleagues who have an eye for detail and are crack investigators to assist with the case.
The drama is predictable. The investigators and the family look at every known contact of Veronica as a prime suspect and Mario finds himself in the spotlight purely due to the testimony he provides. His own lawyer makes things difficult for all parties involved and internal conflicts follow. The most important takeaway is how an unforeseen event can impact the lives of children. In this case, Kari is torn between having her father's back, and the absence of her mother, the blame of which is pinned on the man.
What makes '42 Days of Darkness' special is how it weaves in the different angles of a crime. Throw in the emotions of trust and betrayal, the fragile thread some relationships hang on, and some great performances by the cast, the Netflix series makes for a must-watch.