THE MINIONS OF MIDAS is a new Netflix thriller series from Spain (org. title Los Favoritos de Midas). While this is a Spanish production, it’s based on a short story by American author Jack London. With just six episodes, it’s quick to watch. Read our The Minions of Midas review here!
THE MINIONS OF MIDAS is a new Netflix thriller series from Spain (org. title Los Favoritos de Midas). The mini-series has six episodes and each one tends to end on a cliffhanger of some sort. Also, the cast has several familiar faces, so you should feel at home with this mini-series very fast.
In other words, you’ll probably binge-watch this Netflix production quite easily.
Continue reading our The Minions of Midas mini-series review below.
The cast of The Minions of Midas
This new Spanish Netflix series stars Luis Tosar, Willy Toledo, Marta Belmonte, Carlos Blanco, and Marta Milans. The main protagonist is Victor Genovés, who is portrayed by Luis Tosar. Most recently, we saw Luis Tosar star in the Netflix movie Eye for an Eye (2020).
You might like: Our review of the Spanish thriller Eye for an Eye here >
While Luis Tosar has done many productions, for me, he will always be associated with his performance in Sleep Tight (org. title Mientras duermes) from 2011. It really is a brilliant little story that has been perfectly executed in this psychological horror movie directed by Jaume Balagueró and written by Alberto Marini. It was even remade in South Korea as Door Lock (2019).
Fans of the Netflix series White Lines (2020), which was sadly canceled after just one season, will also recognize Marta Milans. She is brilliant in The Minions of Midas as a very direct no-nonsense businesswoman, who is also an old friend of Victor’s. Also in a key role, we have Bea Segura who will be very familiar if you’ve watched the recent Shudder release 32 Malasana Street.
Based on a short story by Jack London
Set in modern-day Madrid, the story is inspired by Jack London’s short story The Minions of Midas. Of course, Jack London was an American author (best known for “The Call of the Wild”) and while the short story adapted for this Netflix series is from 1901, this just goes to show that a good story never loses its relevance.
Also, I love how this is a story that has many gray areas that you will be quite free to interpret and love or hate as you desire. Not much is really black or white – not in real life and not in this story. Even if there is still a very clear difference between right and wrong!
Interestingly, this Netflix series reminded me of the very first Black Mirror episode ever released. Not in terms of the actual plot, but by the way, someone blackmails a person while being anonymous. Also, the blackmailers make it very clear that they will act on their threats. And they do!
Watch The Minions of Midas on Netflix!
The mini-series was co-created and directed by Mateo Gil, who wrote the script together with Miguel Barros. The Minions of Midas is the first TV series written by Mateo Gil while Miguel Barros also wrote on the upcoming series Libertad (2020) and Gigantes (2018-2019).
However, if the name Mateo Gil rings a bell, it’s probably due to some other very successful movies. His feature film debut as a writer was Abre Los Ojos which was remade in the US with the title Vanilla Sky (2001). Also, he wrote The Sea Inside which won the Gilden Globe and Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language Film” in 2005.
Basically, what I’m getting at is the fact that the creator of The Minions of Midas knows how to tell a good story. I did feel that it became a tad too slow at times, but I also recognize that we need to get under the skin of both the characters and the world they live in. I was incredibly intrigued by the first episode and felt episode 2 was a bit weaker, but then it picked up again.
Do check out this Netflix mini-series if you enjoy a good crime thriller with an intelligent plot. As mentioned earlier, the original title is Los favorites de Midas, and you can watch a dubbed version. Still, I would (as always) recommend that you try it out in Spanish with subtitles first.
The Minions of Midas mini-series will be out on Netflix with all six episodes from November 13, 2020.
Details
Creator: Mateo Gil
Writers: Mateo Gil, Miguel Barros
Stars: Luis Tosar, Marta Belmonte, Carlos Blanco, Willy Toledo, Marta Milans
Plot
Victor Genovés, an influential businessman, is blackmailed: if he doesn’t agree to pay a large sum of money, the self-styled Midas favorites will kill a person at random at a designated place and time and add a new victim periodically until they achieve their goal. How many deaths will he be able to carry on his shoulders?
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