The Chalk Line – Netflix Review (4/5)

THE CHALK LINE on Netflix is a new thriller, horror, and mystery movie from Spain (org. title Jaula). It’s based on a true story, which you might recognize towards the end. Even if it is loosely. Read our full The Chalk Line movie review here!

THE CHALK LINE is a new Netflix thriller with lots of horror and mystery. The mystery is very big in the first part, while the horror is prevalent in the third act. It’s a bit slow-burn at first, but that ending is just pure horror and it escalates quickly in that final act.

This is a Spanish movie (org. title Jaula) and we do tend to love these productions. Just as we have a weak spot for South Korean productions. They tend to build characters and depth more than just jump scares. Since this Netflix movie from Spain is based on (or inspired by) a true story, it’s even darker!

Continue reading our The Chalk Line movie review below. It’s on Netflix from October 24, 2022.

Strong actors to lead the way

The cast of The Chalk Line delivers powerful and credible performances. We’re supposed to doubt and get irritated by some of them along the way. That’s just the way it goes when a mystery needs to be unraveled. Some people want to give up and others get obsessed.

Elena Anaya (The Skin I Live In) is brilliant as always as the woman, who discovers a young girl wandering around alone in the dark and takes her in. Her husband is portrayed by Pablo Molinero (La peste) and while he supports his wife and feels for the girl, he is also more weary of the situation.

As the young girl, Clara, we see the very young newcomer Eva Tennear. She does a fantastic job, so I suspect (and hope), we’ll see her again soon.

Around two-thirds in, the story pauses for a minute to show a flashback which should get all viewers on the right track. This is when you’ll find out who the villain of the story is. And how everything weird and strange has been happening.

In other words, just stay with it and you’ll be rewarded for your patience.

The Chalk Line on Netflix is based on a true story

This is yet another case of real-life being worse than fiction since The Chalk Line (org. title Jaula) is based on a true story. In fact, the true crime is worse than what we see in this Spanish Netflix movie.

When you get to the final act of The Chalked Line and the mystery starts to unravel, you just might see a few things that seem familiar. I know I certainly did and I even stated out loud that it reminded me a of true crime case.

One of the big and absolutely grotesque and scary true crimes of this century. I don’t want to say too much, to avoid spoilers.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ:

Our article covering the true story behind The Chalk Line >

However, I can say that several key elements are taken directly from the true story. We’re in a different location (to a point, anyway) and certain other details have been changed.

But it’s still a case of The Chalk Line clearly being based on this true story. Even more so than some of the other thrillers that simply state to be “based on true stories” which this one actually does not!

Watch The Chalk Line on Netflix now!

Ignacio Tatay is the director and co-writer of the screenplay with Isabel Peña. This is the feature film debut for Ignacio Tatay, who only has two short films to his name prior to this movie. Isabel Peña, on the other hand, has quite a few credits to her name. Including as co-writer of the amazing May God Save Us (2016).

Also involved with The Chalk Line as producers, we have Carolina Bang, Álex de la Iglesia, and Araceli Pérez-Rastrilla. The three all worked on the horror comedy The Bar (2017) as well, while Caroline Bang and Álex de la Iglesia also worked on the 30 Coins series on HBO.

While this latest Spanish horror, thriller, and mystery is off to a slow-burn start, it definitely rewards viewers in the final act. An absolutely terrifying story unfolds, which is exactly the part that is based on a true story. Don’t miss out on this one!

The Chalk Line (org. title Jaula) is on Netflix from October 24, 2022.

Details

Director: Ignacio Tatay
Writers: Isabel Peña, Ignacio Tatay
Stars: Elena Anaya, Pablo Molinero, Eva Tennear, Eva Llorach, Carlos Santos, Esther Acebo, Mona Martínez, Sonia Almarcha