Movistar Plus’ ‘El Inmortal’: A Mob Thriller Charting One Man’s Improbable Rise Up the Narco Food Chain
variety.comJohn Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentWorld premiering in the main Canneseries competition, “El Inmortal – Gangs of Madrid” marks the latest original series from Movistar Plus, the Spanish pay TV/SVOD arm of Telefonica, made with Banijay’s DLO Producciones and Telemundo Streaming Studios.
Beta Film handles international distribution.It shows. A Movistar Plus hallmark, “El Inmortal” reflects a real-life Spanish reality, the rise and fall – or here, fall and rise, then maybe fall and rebound – of the founding leader of Los Miami, a gang which controlled Madrid’s insatiable ‘90s drug business.
José Antonio’s real-life counterpart survived four attempts on his life, becoming a legend and gaining his epic sobriquet. But it also nails other facets of high-end scripted fiction.“El Inmortal” begins as quiet-spoken ‘90s Madrid drug lord José (Alex García, frightening) insists on living his life, driving his infant daughter to her posh primary school.Just after dropping her off, a motorbike passes spraying bullets, leaving him for dead.
Whether this is his definitive death is another matter, however.Cut to many years before as José is first seen in his humble Madrid barrio buying churros – fried dough morsels – for his mum and sister.
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