A Widow’s Game (2025)

A Widow’s Game (2025)

I guess the movie couldn’t be called Black Widow, since that’s already the name of the super heroine played by Scarlett Johansson!

In Spanish: La viuda negra

A Spanish film directed by Carlos Sedes, inspired by the Patraix murder case. The plot is therefore based on a true story.

When a man is found dead, stabbed seven times in a parking lot, the investigation shatters his widow’s perfect facade and reveals a well-hidden double life.

A film that, sadly, reminds us that even if you work in the medical or healthcare field, you aren’t necessarily a good person who’s never had murderous urges.

There are some excellent aspects to this movie, but there’s also a deadly boredom that sets in more and more. Among the positive and original aspects is the fact that we follow several characters in turn, though I would have preferred the film to be told solely from the investigators’ perspective. That’s because there are quite a few flashbacks—which aren’t badly done—but I prefer it when an investigation unfolds rather than seeing who the culprit is right from the start and watching how the crime unfolded. The black widow slowly weaves her web to better catch her prey, and the story of this murder is the result of games of seduction and manipulation. The narrative structure is inverted, with a long flashback providing the viewer with the key clues, even though the motive is flimsy. A flashback inserted in the middle that serves no purpose whatsoever!

For the first hour, I was more or less satisfied, because I told myself that this film didn’t have all the hallmarks of a TV movie that I’d suspected it might. Unfortunately, it eventually descends into exactly that!

It’s very hard to believe that the lead actress is Ivana Baquero. After all, she was the young girl who rose to fame at age twelve in 2006 thanks to Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth! Ivana returned to the spotlight in 2016 with the series The Shannara Chronicles.

So we’d known her as a rather innocent girl, whereas here, she plays the resident vixen. Almost every part of her body will be laid bare for you. We see her buttocks, then her breasts, one after the other. It’s clear she didn’t use a body double. It’s quite fascinating, this obsession with wanting to shed a youthful role or image by proving that it’s also possible to take on sexy roles and show that you’ve truly grown up and aren’t the same person anymore. To fully appreciate actors is to be willing to see them in anything and everything.

Let’s be clear: overall, this is a pointless movie unless you’re in the mood for multiple instances of adultery—and on top of that, multiple relatively poorly acted sex scenes that could serve as sleeping pills or pass for comedy.

I read this review: “Is it even possible to make something this utterly uninteresting? We know everything from the start. The only thing left is a vague question about the ‘how,’ which is resolved halfway through the movie. So what’s left? Well… nothing, absolutely nothing! And I won’t even mention the casting mistakes, like Carmen Machi, who’s about as believable as a tough cop as Julia Stiles is playing Rambo. An absolute waste of time. The idea was good, but that’s probably the only thing that was…”

Well, I don’t entirely agree, of course! I think Carmen Machi is excellent! The person who wrote that comment just wants to see young, beautiful actresses. He doesn’t care at all whether someone’s acting is very precise or whether she has a disarming and unsettling naturalness.

Alright! If you’re looking for suspense, move on—you’ll be disappointed! On the other hand, those interested in the psychological tactics a woman employs to get what she wants from a man will enjoy watching this film. Of course, the police suspect the wife from the very beginning. But it’s fascinating to dissect all the schemes she devises.

A Widow’s Game has that slightly lurid flavor of true crime stories that are as fascinating as they are unsettling, with just enough mystery to intrigue. It’s well-crafted, engaging, and keeps you hooked. No flashes of genius, but the narrative structure is skillfully handled enough to keep you on the edge of your seat at the start.

I came across this review: “The problem is the overload—of lovers, parallel storylines, and murky affairs. Enough is enough! In its attempt to highlight the main character’s gray areas, the film ends up blurring its own narrative. The relationships pile up like evidence in a file that’s too thick: eventually, you stop paying attention to any of them. And that inevitably undermines the dramatic impact. Despite this, A Widow’s Game succeeds where many others fail: it makes us believe in this story. The screenplay isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s built on a solid structure, and that’s enough. It’s a far cry from sensationalism or forced plot twists. There’s a certain restraint in the storytelling, and that’s what makes it work.”

Yes, except that it’s certainly not a memorable film! This thriller inspired by real events could have been solid enough, and among the sea of Netflix thrillers, that would have been quite an achievement. Let’s not forget that movies streamed on Netflix—and billed as “No. 1”—more often border on cinematic flops than masterpieces of the art form. It’s a recurring bad habit for the streaming service. And unfortunately, in this case, it’s a small Spanish production that plays the role of the black sheep.

As for suspense, there’s none to speak of. The film drags on interminably, and you’ll breathe a huge sigh of relief when the credits roll. A Widow’s Game is, at best, a low-budget TV movie worth watching just to see its lead actress shapes on a day when the weather’s terrible. In short, you get the picture: “Move along, nothing much to see here!”