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- Netflix’s The Crystal Cuckoo is a gripping Spanish crime series adapted from Javier Castillo’s novel
- The show follows Clara, a heart transplant recipient uncovering dark secrets tied to her donor’s family
- It’s climbing the global charts and receiving praise for its compelling mystery and small-town setting
Netflix’s new six-part crime drama is winning over viewers worldwide with its heart-pounding plot.
The Spanish-language drama, The Crystal Cuckoo, is adapted from Javier Castillo’s novel of the same name.
The psychological thriller series follows young medical student Clara (Catalina Sopelana), who receives a life-saving heart transplant and decides to learn more about the young male donor with her second chance.
As the synopsis tantalisingly continues: ‘After she travels to a remote village to pay her respects, she discovers a string of unsettling disappearances that seem to be tied to her donor’s grieving family, and unintentionally springs a deadly trap.’
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It is set in a small fictional Spanish town called Yesques, outside of Madrid – which is to say, who doesn’t love a small town mystery to sink their teeth into?
The cast also features Álex García, Iván Massagué, Tomás del Estal, Elite star Alfons Nieto and Money Heist actor Itziar Ituño.
It’s already made quite the impression, climbing to number six in the global charts, no doubt entering the top five before long.
Heaven of Horror reviewer wrote it features ‘an insanely sinister and eerily realistic serial killer story that feels like something you could just as easily have come across on the evening news.’
Decider called it ‘a solid mystery thriller that isn’t trying to distract viewers with red herrings’.
European thrillers you need to watch next
- The Devil’s Leap on Channel 4: When a former special forces father takes his daughter on a hike, their bonding opportunity soon takes a turn for the worse when they witness a murder – and are soon being pursued by a gang.
- La Fortuna on ITVX: Stanley Tucci stars in this Spanish-American adventure drama based on an incredible true story about a diplomat ‘leading a team of treasure hunters’.
- The Glass Dome on Netflix: This Swedish drama follows a criminologist who returns to her small hometown and ‘becomes wrapped up in the investigation of a missing girl and its haunting similarities to her own childhood abduction’.
And ScreenRant, although not completely convinced, added: ‘If small town mysteries and multiple timelines sound promising, then it may be worth giving this one a shot.’
‘Each episode adds a new wrinkle, and even seasoned mystery fans will find themselves reevaluating their theories. The show leans into misdirection while always playing fair with clues, which is a hallmark of great thrillers,’ Comic Book Resources praised.
Over on Facebook, Anne Taylor wrote she thought it was ‘really good’ while Gloria Graeff declared she had ‘binge-watched it’ and Shirlee Martinez-Cruz dubbed it as ‘excellent’.
The limited series joins a gripping collection of Spanish thrillers on the site, including megahit Money Heist (which ran for multiple seasons), The Snow Girl (also adapted from the same author), and In The Mud – to name a few.
The Cuckoo Crystal is streaming on Netflix now.
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