There’s a brand new true crime documentary that’s broken into the Netflix top 10 this week.
The Predator of Seville is a riveting three-part series that chronicles the terrifying true story of a woman who was assaulted by her Spanish tour guide — a man who ultimately targeted many other young women.
While highlighting the crimes of the perpetrator, Manuel Blanco, the show also highlights the long-term emotional impact on victims.
Watch With Us breaks down why The Predator of Seville is the true crime doc you should make time for this week — and why it might just cause you to cancel any plans you have to travel abroad.
It’s a Well-Investigated True Crime Doc That Isn’t Exploitative
The Predator of Seville documents how one man got away with horrific crimes for far too long, and whose reign of terror came to an end when one woman finally dared to speak out. The true crime series showcases Gabrielle Vega‘s fight for justice for herself and the other women assaulted and exploited by tour guide Manuel Blanco, who organized student trips and preyed on the young women who attended. Allegedly, as many as 50 to 100 women have been victims of Blanco.
The series does a terrific job of embracing victim-first storytelling, making sure to center the voices of the survivors in addition to its exploration of how a predator was able to charm his way into operating in plain sight for years, and how women are silenced into not speaking up out of fear. Despite Blanco’s crimes, Vega is shown as a strong, courageous woman who is on the path toward healing. So too are all of Blanco’s victims, who were able to use the internet to find one another, band together and see justice finally served.
‘The Predator of Seville’ Is a Gripping Story of Survivors Seeking Justice
The narrative highlights the bravery of Vega and the other young women who refused to stay silent while their abuser ran free. Through connecting their stories, the women were able to turn their isolated and unreported incidents into the disturbing web of a serial rapist. Instead of solely looking at the heinous crimes for viewers’ voyeuristic curiosity, the series takes the time to focus on the strength of the victims, their persistence despite years of investigation and various bureaucratic hurdles and, eventually, their collective success in holding their perpetrator accountable.
At the same time, The Predator of Seville spotlights on the painfully slow process of investigating crimes and the incompetence of law enforcement that led the victims of Blanco to do most of the investigative heavy lifting. While frustrating, this aspect of the story also makes for an inspiring watch, showcasing how collective action is the greatest threat to oppression.
It Shows the Disturbing Way Some Women Are Taken Advantage Of
The Predator of Seville highlights an unfortunate tale as old as time: the ways that vulnerable young women are taken advantage of by predatory men. In Blanco’s case, he exploited his position as a trusted tour guide for a legitimate business called “Discover Excursions” as a way to get women, particularly American tourists, to trust him and ultimately see the environments with him as safe social situations, in a country they aren’t otherwise familiar with.
But Blanco was anything but safe, and he leveraged this status as a friendly face to drug and assault countless women. As many men have done and continue to do, Blanco took advantage of things like social permissions, the facade of charisma and gaps in legal jurisdiction to continue operating and attacking women in plain sight. At the end of the day, The Predator of Seville highlights the importance of safety while traveling to foreign countries, but it also underscores how men work to lure women into otherwise safe situations to take advantage of them. It’s a frustrating and terrifying reality that exists no matter where you are traveling as a woman.
Stream The Predator of Seville now on Netflix.
