‘Past Lies’ (2024) Disney+ Series Review - Oppressed or the Oppressor?

The mystery thriller Spanish series gave away itself in the first episode when it revealed the place and year of Mati’s death. Past Lies is about a young girl Mati who disappeared while she was on a trip to Mallorca with her other friends. It's been more than twenty years and recently her body resurfaced thus opening the case again. The person investigating it is Paula, Mati's sister.

What the audience would have liked more was a mystery surrounding the murder. When the makers revealed that she was killed in Mallorca in the exact year the group went on a trip, it spoilt the fun. The mystery surrounding whether it was a natural death or a murder too was spoilt.

The potential these little details have to play with the minds of the audience has been underestimated. Why give all the clues at once when they've got six episodes? With such an amount of time, the writers could have given one hint at a time. By the second episode, it was clear from Candela’s statement that Mati (the girl who died) was no saint. She was a vulture who used to feed on the carcasses of secrets. Through this, Mati aimed at living a happy and peaceful life not knowing that it would get her killed someday.

Paula, Mati’s sister is in the Police and she's the one investigating the death of her sister. The investigation made Paula too involved and worked up that she too ended up being dead. From the beginning, I had my doubts about Carmen and when someone else turned out to be the killer, I was left amused.

This Spanish show is below average in terms of a crime mystery and various fronts of this genre have been undervalued. The plot is predictable making it a no-show for the fans of the genre and the writer needs to learn a thing or few about the same. The manner in which the story was being projected i.e., by including both past and present was okayish but it did leave a scope for improvement.

Furthermore, the acting of the cast was poor. Rita’s role was central to the story as she acted as a pivot despite that, the actress did a horrible job. Mati’s character too needed wicked expressions and what do we get, nothing. As three episodes passed, I still had my hopes as I was just midway through the show. As another episode passed by, all my hopes vanished.

The chemistry shared by young Rita and Candela is beautiful and it's the only job well done in the show. The scene where the girls' gang is seen taking an oath could've been a little more dramatic to make an impression on the audience. There are many things included in the plot like homophobia, lesbianism, pedophilia,  and others. Even if one of them was done in a better manner the series would've shined. Although Past Lies has all the right ingredients, it failed miserably making all six episodes appear a waste of time.

Final Score – [6/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
Follow @_riyasinghhh_ on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times