REVIEW: ‘Muted’ Is Bleak Yet Enticing Viewing

Muted (El Silencio) is a six-part Spanish series written by Aitor Gabilondo. The cast highlights include Arón Piper, Manu Ríos, Almudena Amor, Aitor Luna, and Cristina Kovani. Additionally, the limited series is directed by Gabe Ibáñez, Aitor Gabilondo, and Esteban Crespo. 

The psychological thriller mini-series focuses on the character Sergio Cisar (Arón Piper). After supposedly killing both of his parents by throwing them off a balcony, he goes to prison. He returns to civilisation on parole after he serves six years. But strangely, no one knows why he murdered his mother and father nor do we see actual footage of the murders. So instantly, there’s speculation about whether he actually did the deed. When Sergio returns to civilisation, we learn that the authorities are using hidden cameras to spy on his every move. But are they able to find anything useful? And if they do, what does that mean for Sergio?

Further episodes highlight emotional abuse, manipulation, isolation, and self-loathing. Because of that, Muted is definitely a hard-hitting watch. If you’re looking for a light watch, Muted is not the one. But is Muted any good? It’s a well-developed series that doesn’t stretch too far from the events of real life. As a result, it comes across as something that could easily occur in the real world. It makes the six episodes all the more horrifying to watch. For most of the series, the psychological aspect can be hard to witness. But, at the same time, it’s what makes Muted such a great viewing experience.

Although Muted isn’t overrun with action or even drama, it’s still a thrilling show. The silent tension between characters, added to Ana’s determination to uncover Sergio’s motives, have you second-guessing everything. Is Sergio truly a monster? Is it morally right to watch a person’s every movement? Does a former criminal deserve redemption? Can families recover from a brutal and horrifying murder? These questions and more are what make Muted so enticing.

With an excellent cast, particularly one that fans of Elite will be familiar with, Muted is already on its way to excellence. Through their grand performances, the characters feel real, likely because of the real nature present within the show. Due to the lack of movement in the story, Muted does feel slow. However, crucial to the quality of the plot, it never gets boring. It could be the dark nature of the show, or it could be the sense that we as an audience know we have yet to learn the full story. Whatever it is, Muted has a story within that deserves to be seen.

To answer a previous question, Muted is indeed a good show. In fact, it’s a superb show. It features a refreshing but not unfamiliar plot that will cause the audience to question the way we interact in real life. Although the show is quite bleak from the get-go, there’s some hope for the characters as the show progresses. But whether they receive a happy-ever-after is another story. To conclude, Muted is a grand example of a fascinating Spanish series on Netflix. It stands up to the other Spanish hits on the streaming service. 

Muted streams exclusively on Netflix May 19th.