La casa de papel made a very discreet entry in the Netflix catalog on December 25, 2017. No outrageous communication on it, no broadcast of the trailer on social networks and yet, this series is a hit. Announced as the Spanish Ocean's Eleven , La casa de papel has nothing to envy to American series!
La casa de papel tells how a robbery will turn into a heist of the century. A mysterious man, called The Professor, recruits seven thugs who have in common that they have nothing left to lose. For five months, he will train them and make them learn a Machiavellian plan to rob the Royal House of the Mint of Spain. The goal is to print 2.4 billion euros in eleven days and this without causing any victims. A completely crazy plan planned to the minute that seems infallible.
But as you know, a plan is never perfect. The unexpected will follow one another to put the nerves of the robbers to the test. Did the Professor really think of everything? Moreover, managing 67 hostages is not going to be as easy as expected.
A frantic pace
A bank robbery? The theme has already been seen and reviewed both in cinema and in TV series. Nothing very original here and yet. La casa de papel succeeds in a tour de force by offering 13 episodes all more interesting than the others. No downtime, no time a little long where you discreetly look at your watch to know when the episode will end.
This series imposes on the viewer a frantic pace that never slows down. Moreover, it will be practically impossible for you not to binge watch this series as it is captivating. Although the episodes are all built on the same model (everything is fine, then a detail makes the plan waver and everyone does their best to restore the situation), it works perfectly.
Mastered characters and visuals
But what makes La casa de papel so addictive? First of all, the characters. The professor is an iconic character in this series and the fact that he is so mysterious intrigues the viewer. We try to identify this man who seems banal but who has developed an absolutely incredible (and completely crazy) plan. In addition, each robber has a story that we discover over the episodes. We get attached very quickly to the characters because each has its shadow share of course but also an endearing side. The characters are not black or white but all have a shade of gray that makes them very interesting.
And the icing on the cake is of course the visual of this series. Whether it is the use of masks with the effigy of Dali or the realization, everything is done to sublimate this story and the characters. Some scenes are breathtaking and really, the Spanish do not have to be ashamed of this series much better than some big American productions.
