The film “El Silencio de la Ciudad Blanca (Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City)” is a Spanish film directed by Daniel Calparsoro released by Netflix on March 6. This thrilling film, which is adapted from the novel by Eva García Sáenz, takes many twists and turns while displaying a vast, yet complex plot. “Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City” has a surprisingly engaging story, but is poorly executed.
The dialogue of Roger Danès’ screenplay is laid out well in each scene and takes the situation to a more significant level. One crucial aspect which sets this film apart is how the plot focuses more on the investigative side of the crime rather than focusing solely on the murders. Many films released in the crime genre deal with serial killers and their techniques of homicide to explain the crime. However, this film gives the viewer a glimpse into the interactions of several people involved in the development of the murder.
However, despite the unique aspects, “Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City” shares many similarities with Jonathan Demme’s “The Silence of the Lambs.” Each film is entertaining in its own unique way within the genre. Calparsoro’s Spanish background sets his film apart to American audiences as it offers a different perspective of crime from a different part of the world. Nonetheless, the film is largely cliched.
This film links other movies together with the idea that everybody struggles with similar situations in different countries. The culture and environment displayed throughout the film make it eye-catching and fascinating, almost more than the plot itself. Calparsoro also did a decent job of making every character equally significant and relevant to the plot.
However, the overemphasized music entirely controls the scenes that do not include dialogue, and the background music overruns some scenes that do include conversations. At times, it feels like the scenes include music that is there for no reason but to leave you wondering what happens next. This film has an interesting story but is poorly executed, specifically where it builds up momentum then falls flat toward the end. The storyline is solid, but the ideas do not flow together cohesively on-screen. This inconsistency causes some scenes to have irrelevant ideas, such as too many running sequences.
This film lacks originality. It is too similar to “The Silence of the Lambs.” Certain aspects of the stories are different and the Spanish setting provides a new perspective, but ultimately the situations are extremely consistent. “Twin Murders” mirrors “The Silence of the Lambs” by focusing on one detective, consulting with a previous serial killer and including gruesome scenes.
“Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City” is a demonstration of cultural diversity but lacks intrigue and originality. This non-relatable film includes multiple surprises, but ultimately has a shortage of creative ideas, since it follows the same format as “The Silence of the Lambs,” which was released in 1991.