The Predator of Seville Review: After being sexually assaulted while on a trip to Morocco, Gabrielle Vega takes it upon herself to bring the perpetrator, Manual Blanco Vela, to justice when she realises that there are hundreds of victims at the same place as her.
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The Predator of Seville Netflix Writer & Director
Alejandro Olvera
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Original Title
El depredador de Sevilla
The series has 3 episodes, each with a runtime of around 50 minutes.
The Predator of Seville Review
Thanks to the bravery of one young girl, a predator taking advantage of young, inexperienced girls for decades was brought to justice. The Predator of Seville, for once, gives us a joyous, definitive victory after following Gabrielle Vega’s torturous journey from a victim to avenger and learning about the hundreds of women who have been victimised by him over the years.
The series is clear-cut and to the point, giving the victims a chance to put their experiences forth without adding anything more to the narrative. This, in itself, is an oddity when it comes to sexual crimes, as most of the time, society refuses to believe them due to a lack of hard evidence. For Vega, the crime happened years ago, and thus, it’s even more difficult for her to prove her point. Despite these hurdles, though, The Predator of Seville gives Vega a platform to tell everyone how she bravely tackled such a traumatic incident and became the voice of the voiceless.
Instead of sensationalising the crimes, the series does a great job of focusing on the emotional aftermath of the events and takes us on the arduous journey of guilt, silence and eventually speaking out. It’s empowering, in a way, and the raw and deeply personal testimonies leave your heart heavy. The narrative unfolds slowly, taking time to discuss every individual case in detail and care. This makes the series even more gripping and turns the documentary into a thriller. The structure is great as well and consolidates this huge case into something more digestible, making a deeper impact.
The series is a heavy, impactful watch that is not for the faint of heart. The idea of trusting someone to go on a trip to an unknown country and realising that the people who are supposed to protect you will abuse you if given a chance is nothing short of terrifying. Although there isn’t a lot of graphic detail, it’s just so real and relatable.
Women all over the world, and maybe even men, will be able to understand exactly how the victims felt, because it’s just so pertinent to our lives. The most horrifying reality, that we are all maybe aware of, is how predators mostly hide in plain sight and take advantage of relationships based on trust and vulnerability.
Despite being impactful, I will say that the series’s biggest disadvantage is that it doesn’t explore the systemic issues that the victims had to face through this ordeal. The fact that Vega, a young woman with no knowledge of the justice system, had to run from pillar to post to get all the victims’ testimonies in one place is not only shocking but also embarrassing for the authorities.
Final Thoughts
In the end, The Predator of Seville is impactful because it highlights how kids, learning their way around the world, can be taken advantage of by people in trustworthy positions. It’s a deeply impactful and relatable experience, one that at least gives you hope at the end of the tunnel.
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