TWIN MURDERS: THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY

Spain, 2019, 110 minutes, Colour.
Belen Rueda, Javier Rey, Auro Garrido, Manolo Solo, Alex Brendmuhl.
Directed by Daniel Calparsoro.

This film offers a case for such a murder investigation to be television series or, perhaps, a miniseries, because there is too much material for a feature film. This has been the criticism of this film, especially by Spanish viewers, and those who have read the original novel.

The murders a rather exotic. In the 1990s, two young children murdered, placed together in poses, flower arrangements covering them. At the time, an author discussed cases on television and had a large following, extended over the years to social media. However, he has been imprisoned, offered to the police by his twin brother.

20 years later murders have appeared, a suspect being a disciple of the broadcaster. A pair of teenagers is found – and then there are more murders, with the age of the victims increasing by five years each time.

A detective, who worked on the case, but has been on leave because of the tragic death of his wife, comes back to investigate, with an assistant who is involved in drugs, especially with her brother, and collaborating with the Deputy Chief of the city – both of them involved in running each day and eventually a sexual involvement.

The identity of the murderer is revealed to the audience early on and so his behaviour is seen, his duplicity and cover, his vengeance on the twins, his relationship with his wife. Eventually, his wife and the policeman become the last victims – though there is some escape, but not entirely.

1. A dense feature film? Material for a television series? Events, characters, investigations and solutions?

2. The title, the city setting, the streets and buildings, old and modern, offices, churches, media? The musical score?

3. The title, 20 years of murders? The killings, the use of the bees, the victims naked, a pair, the floral decoration? The screenplay filling in the background of the children initially murdered, the victims going up in terms of five-year periods?

4. The writer, in jail, the replay of his broadcasts, his interests, crime, his followers, social media? His long time in jail? His twin brother, police, turning his brother in? The film eventually filling in the background of the brothers, their family, clashes?

5. The police investigator, in the past, the background of his wife, pregnancy, the driver, the crash, her being killed? Motivations? His being called back into the case? His past work, profiling? As a character, family background, the bees, his grandfather, brother? His return to work at home? His running, encountering the deputy? Running with her – and the sexual encounter?

6. The investigation, his hunches, his working with his partner, her background, her brother, drug addiction? Going to the churches, consulting the experts, getting the historical background to the murders and the posing?

7. The deputy, her authority, the case, the investigation, her relationship with the policeman? Her home life, her journalist husband, the relationship?

8. The range of minor characters, difficult for the audience to place them? Historical background to families? Leading to victims?

9. The revelation of the murderer, comparatively early, the audience watching his behaviour, the police trying to track him down? His cover? His motivations, his laboratory, the bees, his captives and their torture? Method of murder?

10. His interaction with the twins, his relationship with his wife, journalism and information, the nickname of the investigator and its being used in connection with the case?

11. The increasing number of deaths? The effect on those investigating? The finale with the religious feast, the pursuit, the finding the van with the victims?

12. The perpetrator, the warning to his wife, his capturing her, her becoming a victim, the policeman, tying him up? The associate and her collapse into the basement, the other victims?

13. The policeman getting loose, the confrontation, the shootings? The death? In the finale with the two women looking on?