With its 10-minute episodes and timed basis, projecto final Follows teenagers connecting with each other to validate their school year. But should you enjoy this cool summer breeze?
Netflix subscribers who enjoy Latin American content may have noticed a drop in psychological family thrillers in May between father and son. The season was quite unusual, as it consisted of 20 10-minute episodes; And now, we have another project with the same format, a teenage thriller drama Final Project (Proyecto Final)Also produced by Mexican-Colombian company VIS Studios. The pitch is simple: recent transfer student Tamara (isabella tena) The streamer is partnering with more popular student Zavi on his final school project (Tristan Maze). But just as she falls in love with him, an Instagram account begins a cyberbullying campaign that threatens to reveal everything about her past.
Don’t call this project a “microdrama”… yet: Even though Netflix has launched a vertical content tab on its mobile app, this project is designed to be enjoyed on all screens. Yet Netflix has content coming specifically for that vertical tab. Even though the platform won’t confirm additional plans to acquire more shows in the form of microdramas, final project It has all the characteristics of a microdrama: three or four large sequential episodes, with pre-title card teasers, a limited number of characters and stakes, and constant cliffhangers and tension to renew interest every episode. Music also plays an important role, with Spanish-language pop-rock playing in the background of every scene and tense sound effects underscoring every revelation; In other words, all the most efficient elements of teen dramas and telenovelas rolled into one to serve up and lead viewers to the “easier” parts of the show.
But what about the show? Well, the characters are introduced with their social media handles, and barely more defined than their stated ideals: Tamara is “goth”, Xavi is “jock” with a self-care channel following the “looksmaxing” trend (don’t expect the show to provide practical ideas on that topic); Daniel is the “best friend” (and sometimes provides video receipts of what Xavi is doing); And Samantha is the “princess”, in a relationship with Xavi, with all the trappings of a “mean girl”… but unfortunately, none of the eccentricities. Creator and main writer Bernardo Izaza Capdaviel We waste no time in telling you that things will go very, very wrong from the show’s first sequence; Yet the episodes struggle to gain momentum, even if the thriller aspects arrive earlier than expected. The cyberbullying angle provides just a window into Tamara’s past, but final project This particular red herring goes through the motions of more restrained romance and high school backstabbing. As the threats to the characters increase, so do the clichés and very bland ways to respond to them.
Mostly a harmless show, which plays like a good creative exercise, final project This raises the question of why Netflix sees purpose in keeping these projects on its Latin American line-up: teen audiences would be better served elsewhere looking for the thrill of “microdrama” content, mostly on free competing platforms that have made that format a specialty. As of now, there is no added value or “premium” in producing these types of shows specifically for their platform. Just like its characters, final project Exists as a kind of test, a careful, formatted entry into the microdrama, but beyond that it has no lasting impact or identity; Hopefully, if a strategy is implemented it will act as a launching pad for more ambitious, disruptive projects in the region.
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our decision
Reserved for fans of the genre, the short-form series fails to make a lasting impact, but could mean more interesting concepts and projects in the near future. Teen customers who are the show’s target audience would be better served with other premium dramas that have premiered in recent weeks.
