Reel Review: A Widow’s Game

A Widow’s Game (La viuda negra) is a Spanish true-crime thriller directed by Carlos Sedes, currently available on Netflix. The movie dramatizes the notorious 2017 “Black Widow of Patraix” case, where María Jesús Moreno Canto, alias Maje, outsourced the killing of her spouse with the assistance of her boyfriend.

The story is told through three lenses: Eva (Carmen Machi), the veteran policewoman; Maje (Ivana Baquero), the cunning widow; and Salva (Tristán Ulloa), the entangled boyfriend. This tripartite approach provides a rich perspective on the crime but sometimes lessens the tension.

Baquero is outstanding, with the duality of Maje being revealed to significant effect. Machi’s Eva provides gravity with the unrelenting pursuit of justice. Ulloa’s Salva portrays the tragic fallibility of a man who has gone astray.

Although the movie boasts fine performances and an interesting premise, it occasionally struggles with pace and depth. The procedural aspects are crisp, but the emotional underpinnings might have been developed more.

Mitten’s Verdict: A must-see for fans of true crime, A Widow’s Game is a chilling study of manipulation and deception, with good performances holding it all together. Rated: 6 out of 10.