The Warning [El aviso] (3/5)

The Warning (org. title El aviso) is a new thriller on Netflix. The movie from Spain offers an engaging and fascinating story. Absolutely worth your time!

The Warning is a Spanish thriller on Netflix. The original title is El aviso and the title is actually a perfect indication of the main plot. While this movie also have elements of both horror and sci-fi, it’s the thriller element that carries the story.

For me, it’s the characters that make The Warning a great watch. But also, the two timelines (exactly ten years apart) work very well.

That’s definitely not a given, so when it works you have to appreciate this.

The power of fate

It seems like some of the characters in The Warning are doomed to die. Their fate has already been decided and they don’t even know it. This is where the warning comes in.

When one of these supposed victims receive a note warning them of their death, everything changes. Of course, this is just what gets the ball rolling. The story itself is the real gem of the movie.

Also, in a very interesting twist, one of the characters suffers from a mental illness. In this case, the illness makes him very manic and paranoid, but he refuses to take his medicine. The reason for this; He needs his wild mind to figure out what’s going on.

The problem with this; He has a lot of hallucinations and really, we can’t be sure what’s real. Eventually, neither can he.

Spanish movies

I do tend to love Spanish movies. Especially when it comes to the horror, thriller and sci-fi or fantasy genre. Several past hit movies from Spain have also been remade in the US (much like Korean movies, these years). The Warning is definitely a movie that could be a hit as a US remake.

What I love about Spanish movies such as this, is the honest and realistic portrayal of family and friendship. It’s also very loving and brutal whenever necessary. We need that edge to enjoy the characters and story fully.

In this case, the young boy goes through a few heartbreaking experiences with bullying. And then we have the adult with a mental illness in the other timeline.

However, neither are portrayed as victims. Instead they’re showed as two individuals who need to find their voice and place in the world.

A Netflix movie to watch

Daniel Calparsoro directed The Warning and he’s no stranger to the director’s chair. In recent years he’s done a lot of TV shows, but he has experience as a feature film director as well.

Paul Pen wrote the novel that the script was based on. The script was written by Patxi Amezcua, Jorge Guerricaechevarría, and Chris Sparling. The only name I recognize immediately is Chris Sparling. He was the writer and director of Mercy (also available on Netflix). Check out our review of Mercy right here >

While The Warning isn’t a completely new and innovative story, I loved the way it was told. The entertainment value alone make it one to watch on Netflix. Also, I really liked the young Hugo Arbues, who portrayed the 10-year-old Nico in the story.

The Warning is available to watch on Netflix worldwide now!

Details

Director: Daniel Calparsoro
Cast: Raúl Arévalo, Aura Garrido, Hugo Arbues, Belén Cuesta, Aitor Luna

Plot

After his friend is shot, Jon finds a mathematical pattern behind deaths that occurred at the same location and sets out to warn the next young victim.