March has barely begun, but Netflix already has one of its first original streaming hits of the month.
The Spanish thriller Firebreak came out of nowhere to land a spot high on Netflix’s most popular movies. It was even No. 1 at one point.
Now, Watch With Us is going to tell you whether Firebreak is worth watching on Netflix.
There are some good things that can be said about the film, but the reverse is also true. And only you can decide if the good outweighs the bad.
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‘Firebreak’ Is a Slow-Burn Thriller — Literally
Nothing in Firebreak is as melodramatic as a telenovela, but you may find your patience sorely tested by the first act of the film. This part of the story is all about the grief of Mara (Belen Cuesta) and her daughter, Lide (Candela Martinez). Mara’s husband and Lide’s father have passed away, and neither mother nor daughter is willing to let go of their grief. It’s too soon for that, but it really gets tedious as the film takes its time to get the real story started.
The mother and daughter are joined by Mara’s brother-in-law, Luis (Joaquin Furriel), his wife, Elena (Diana Gomez) and their son, Dani (Mika Arias), as they collectively pack the family’s belongings from their home in the woods. It isn’t until Lide goes missing during an encroaching forest fire that things start to pick up.
‘Firebreak’ Eventually Turns Up the Heat
The standout members of the film’s cast are Cuesta and Enric Auquer. Cuesta is the best actress in the film and the only one whose character really resembles a grieving human being. Mara isn’t exactly in the most emotionally stable headspace, and she starts losing what little grip she has left when Lide goes missing.
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As for Auquer, the film wants the audience to question his character, Santiago, at all times. He’s the family’s neighbor out in the woods, but they don’t really know him. The more time that Mara spends with Santiago, the more she’s convinced that he kidnapped Lide for some unknown, sinister purpose. Auquer plays ambiguity pretty well, and it’s not obvious one way or another. His presence alone is enough to send Mara spiraling into paranoia. The question is whether Mara’s suspicions are valid or if her panic is making her lash out without any real justification.
The Final Twist Is Deflating
We won’t spoil the specifics about Firebreak‘s ending, but we will say that the filmmakers used Mara’s perspective to color the audience’s expectations. When the final reveal is made about what happened to Lide, it’s kind of deflating rather than exhilarating. There’s so much buildup to that moment that the reveal fell flat.
There was something interesting about Mara’s response that could have given the film a truly tragic coda. But instead of going for the throat, the film holds back from making its final point. That was the moment that Firebreak could have transcended its unimpressive CGI fire effects and low-budget thrills for something that could have been irreversible and powerful. Instead, it lets its characters off the hook, and that’s never the interesting way to go.
Firebreak isn’t a bad movie, but its many flaws outweigh its positives. You’re better off rewatching Leave the World Behind with Julia Roberts instead.
Firebreak is streaming on Netflix.
