Sometimes, a show comes along that takes even Netflix by surprise. This month, that series is the true crime documentary, 50 Seconds: The Fernando Báez Sosa Case.
Netflix didn’t release an English-language trailer for this Argentinian miniseries, but it’s already ranked among the top 10 shows on the streamer.
American audiences may not have been aware of this case, but it’s been a watershed moment in Argentina that may be comparable to the George Floyd protests.
Now, Watch With Us is sharing the four reasons to watch 50 Seconds: The Fernando Báez Sosa Case on Netflix.
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Is ’50 Seconds: The Fernando Baez Sosa Case’ Based on a Real Story?
Yes. Fernando Báez Sosa was just 18 years old when he was murdered on January 18, 2020. Sosa and his friends were at a nightclub called Le Brique in Buenos Aires when they had an altercation with another group. Hours after the initial incident, eight members of the other group brutally beat Sosa for less than a minute. But his injuries were so severe that he died shortly thereafter.
Bystanders weren’t the only ones who filmed the attack on Sosa. One of his attackers recorded it as well before taking part in the assault. Subsequently, the incident was widely viewed on social media and in the national news.
’50 Seconds’ Captures Everything That Happened
50 Seconds: The Fernando Báez Sosa Case doesn’t attempt to cram everything into a 90-minute film. Instead, the three episodes give the filmmakers enough space to thoroughly dive into what happened. Because of the nature of the crime, there was a lot of evidence that was used in court against the attackers, some of whom unwittingly implicated themselves in the minutes and hours after the murder.
This series walks viewers through the case with cell phone footage, court records and extensive interviews with witnesses, lawyers and Sosa’s family members.
’50 Seconds’ Demonstrates the Impact the Case Had in South America
The group that killed Sosa turned out to be members of a rugby team. It was also alleged that they yelled a racial epithet at Sosa as they beat him. That inflamed tensions, especially after reports that the group openly boasted and celebrated their actions after they left Sosa dying on the ground.
Among the general public, the response was a collective cry for justice and fury about the injustice of Sosa’s death. Protests even spread to Paraguay, because Sosa and his parents had immigrated to Argentina from that country.
The Netflix Docuseries Offers a Powerful Reminder About the Case
Sosa’s death became a rallying cry for a country that was incensed about his senseless murder. The murder trial took place in 2023, and it captivated the nation. The hope is that Sosa’s death will lead to some meaningful change in the society he left behind.
But the documentary reminds viewers that Sosa wasn’t just an abstract victim. He was a young man who had dreams of becoming a lawyer and had a family that loved him. His entire potential was snatched away in under a minute, but Sosa’s life mattered to everyone close to him. And there’s no amount of punishment for the guilty that can ever bring him back.
50 Seconds: The Fernando Báez Sosa Case is streaming on Netflix.
