We warn you, at the outset, that 'Iron Hand' is being sold as a miniseries, but nothing could be further from the truth. The eighth and final chapter leaves a lot of history ahead, as if the coitus interruptus of the climax responded to an inopportune commercial break without continuity. Half of the characters have fallen by the wayside, some charismatic, which reinforces the feeling that probably as a miniseries, with only six episodes, the story arc would have gained strength. There is a lot of nonsense throughout the eight available installments, especially a string of flashbacks that muddy up the narrative, in accordance with the current scheme that is triumphing on Netflix. Apparently, the serialized format works better statistically – rather than creatively -, with a choral cast, an editing rhythm that barely allows you to breathe and abundant jumps in time that fragment the viewing, generating a puzzle that the viewer must complete in his shaking head. Attracting the attention of the audience is essential and the mentioned resources, which we can also see in current phenomena that sweep other platforms, such as 'Red Queen', are trending.
'Hand of Iron' follows in the wake of 'Narcos', an international success – how we love stories about criminal families! – and other recent national proposals, such as 'El immortal', sponsored by Movistar +, which has already 'Gigantes' worked for him. There is also 'Los Farad', on Prime Video, to take another example released this season. If we were to do a historical review and had to choose an important title along the same lines, we would choose, without hesitation, 'Crematorium', which is already a few years old. Netflix's new commitment focuses on controlling the passage of goods of dubious origin and worse destination in the port of Barcelona. A powerful stash of cocaine in its purest form disappears through the art of pirlibirloque and is mixed up between several factions involved. The Manchado family sees their reign faltering. Lies, betrayal and revenge are served.
Powerful delivery
The greatest asset of 'Iron Hand' is its immeasurable casting. Created by Lluis Quilez, responsible for 'Bajocero', a solvent thriller shot with nerve that had an undoubted success in streaming, it features numerous faces from our cinema and television. The lineup is crazy, starting with Eduard Fernández – the one-armed leader with a hook that leads to the title – and Sergi López, with plenty of experience. Both racial actors play the Manchado brothers, leaders of a clan whose family tree suffers misfortunes. Natalia de Molina, Chino Darín, Jaime Lorente, Enric Auquer, Daniel Grao, Ana Torrent, Salva Reina, Cosimo Fusco… The squad is spectacular, but its good work, defending an undoubted level of production, is not enough to support a action that seems hardly credible at times, especially when the flashbacks and some cumbersome, even unfriendly subplots (the Mexican cartel) come into play. It is clear that they have managed a large budget, well used in the fiction that takes place in the present. When it comes to talking about the past, the bet, incomprehensibly, suffers and the images do not, in general, provide information of real interest. Its reason for being seems to consist of expanding the footage to generate more chapters and engage the viewer with a fragmented reading.
There are well-executed shooting scenes and moments of explicit violence that match the plot, not just seeking sensationalism. The script twists pile up, with soap opera-like shapes, especially in a final section that opens more doors than it closes, without any hint of offering a minimum conclusion. Let's hope there is a second season, still unconfirmed. Otherwise, the feeling is not at all satisfactory after concluding eight extensive installments. It already happened with 'The Longest Night'. Quality does not imply that the proposal is renewed. These are the figures that the platforms manage, like a terrible Tripadvisor.
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