Displaying items by tag: Herman Goldfrid

CAUGHT/ Atrapados

Argentina, 2025, 6X 50 minutes, Colour.

Soledad Villamil, Alberto Ammann, Juan Minujin, Matias Recalt.

Directed by Miguel Cohan, Herman Goldfrid.

While Harlan Coben had a very successful career with his books from the 1990s, he signed a contract with Netflix for adaptations of his novels as television series. With the series, they are not set in the United States. Rather, some are set in England, some in France, Spain, several in Poland, and this one in Argentina.

What seems something of a straightforward plot in the first episode, the development is quite complex, a number of strands, and a final, perhaps to many, unexpected solution.

In many of the series, the focus is a central character, a strong woman. As is the case here. A widow, teenage son, journalist working for a magazine, getting a tip about a sexual predator and the possibility of a unmasking him. The accused seems to be a good man, running a centre for youth (and, unexpectedly, having a sexual encounter with the journalist in the first episode – which she acknowledges and becomes part of the investigation). He goes to a rendezvous with one of the abused young women and is arrested.

Most of the series is the continued investigation, the gathering of evidence, information, meeting contacts, some involvement of her son, her alienating him because of her continued devotion to her work.

One of the challenges of the screenplay is that there are many flashbacks, many of them not indicated at all, the audience having to come to realise that they are flashbacks, for example a flashback to the death of the journalist’s husband in a hit run and later confrontations with the driver.

As the plot develops, the journalist has some doubts about the guilt of the accused, pursuing leads, leading to a different world, a world of finance and money dealing as well as sexual exploitation.

And, of course, mounting suspicions and a final revelation which we may or may not have been expected in terms of what the audience has seen concerning the character of the accused and his contacts.

A welcome addition to the Harlan Coben series.

1. The popularity of Harlan Coben novels? The Netflix series of adaptations? From the US? Transferred to Argentina? Characters, situations, crime, twists, solutions?
2. The Argentinian setting, the city of Baraloche, location, the water, the mountains, the city itself, homes, magazine officers, the camp for the youth? The musical score?
3. The focus on journalists and investigations, personalities, intensity, persevering, clues, cameras, intrusive or not, following leads? The dangers of setups, for the accusations, consequences? Collaboration with the police or not, journalists and freedom, police and regulations?
4. The focus on teenagers, at school, social media, exploitation, sex sites, performance, contacts, manipulation, grooming, consequences?
5. The linear progress of the plot, the insertion of many flashbacks, sometimes not immediately clear that the scenes were flashbacks? The shuffling of time? Audiences adjusting to the final solution, the setting up of the plot, motivations, the encounters, big business, Martina, tips and the setting up of the investigation, the target to destroy Leo, the financial gains?
6. Ema as the central character, the flashback to her past, her husband, the bond, cycling, hit run, the later confrontations with the driver, the final issues of forgiveness or not, her relationship with her son, teenage, tensions, intensity with her work, neglecting him, the scenes of clash, the party, his friendship with Fer, the boat, breaking in, his anger with his mother, moving out, the arrival of the financier, the threats? The final reconciliation?
7. Ema, at work, her close collaborator and their friendship, her issuing orders, the friend and her investigations, the presence together, their boss, his sometimes hesitation, demands for copy, involvement?
8. The Centre for the young, Leo as manager, the activities, Ema and her interrogation, the suddenness of the attraction, the sexual encounter, Leo being involved and accusations, Ema making public the sexual encounter? Leo as a personality, his son, his artwork, the separation from his wife, her running the restaurant, the scenes with his son? The story of the message from Martina, going to the rendezvous, the photographers, the accusations, his being arrested? His protests? His home, the hidden evidence of sexual molestation? Reactions, the story with Facundo and his wife, the attacks on their daughter, the bonds from the past, Facundo confronting him, shooting him, his falling into the river?
9. Leo, on the run, his visiting Marcos, childhood friends, the flashback to their intrusion into the house, the financier, his mother, the maid, the breaking of the chandelier, the cuts to her face, the continued service, wary, looking after the mother, but collaborating with Ema? Marcos and his going to Buenos Aires, subsequent career, taking the blame for Leo, the difficulties in Buenos Aires, his return home, working with the financier? The issue of the land, owning it all, Leo holding out on the deal, trying to discuss with Marcos? Marcos at home, with the children, his wife, the interviews?
10. Martina’s story, her parents at home, her playing the violin, practice, the audition, success? Social media, her friends, online, sexual performance, the website? The phone calls, the scenes of going to Buenos Aires, the financier’s plane, with Marcos, the financier, the sexual encounter and Martina upset, Marcos urged to look after her, the bonding?
11. The final episode, audience sympathy towards Marcos, friendship with Leo, happy family life, helping Leo with the food, the flashbacks to the flight to Buenos Aires, more information about his business, the gradual revelation of his manipulating the situation, with Martina, the anonymous letter to Ema, planting the information?
12. Ema, discovering the truth, Martina, her room, the information, her parents? The search for her body, finding it?
13. Ema and the confrontation with Marcos, the fight in the water, Ema with the stone, wounding him, filming him, his desperation, phone call to his wife, driving into the logging truck, his death?
14. The consequences for Ema, her reflecting on the investigation, being set up, the repercussions for herself, memories of her husband, unable to forgive that driver, giving the information to her son, the possibilities of his forgiving?
15. The discussion with Facundo, his prison sentence, promoted to attempted murder, no body, and the possibility for Leo to survive? And the final sequence, Leo, on the horse, his future…?