Murder in Galicia Review: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Murder in Galicia is a slow, realistic true crime drama with a strong lead performance from Tristán Ulloa. It skips cheap twists, but viewers who know the case may feel the focus is in the wrong place.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Genre: True Crime Drama
Language: Spanish
Director: Carlos Sedes
Cast: Tristán Ulloa, Miguel Borines, Carlos Blanco, Fer Fraga, Verónica Sánchez
Episodes: 3
Original Title: El crimen de Pazos
Some true crime stories are hard to watch because the ending is already known. Murder in Galicia is one of them. The three-part Netflix series arrived on 13 November 2026, and it is based on the same real case as the documentary Unprotected: Murder in Galicia, which came out a week earlier.
The story is set in Pazos, a quiet village in Galicia. Aniceto, played by Miguel Borines, lives with his wife Irene. To everyone around them, they look like the perfect couple. Then one night, Irene is brutally attacked in her home and left for dead in what looks like a robbery. She survives and fights for her life in the hospital.
That is where Elías comes in. He is a Civil Guard sergeant, played by Tristán Ulloa, and he quickly becomes sure that her husband is the one who did it.
The problem is that he cannot prove it. There is plenty of circumstantial evidence and a few timeline gaps, but nothing solid.
He wants the judge to sign orders to keep Irene safe, and she refuses because there is no proof. So Elías is left fighting a system that moves far too slowly while a woman lies in a hospital bed.
The series does not try to be a whodunit. Most viewers already know the case, so it looks instead at why it took so long to name the culprit. One critic found this approach works well and gives the show a fresh angle.
It builds tension through delays, unanswered worries and a lack of urgency, and that feeling of helplessness is what makes it so uneasy to watch. Director Carlos Sedes keeps things calm and restrained, with no loud twists, which feels respectful to the real people involved.
Tristán Ulloa is the heart of the series. He shows the frustration of a man who knows where the case is going but cannot get anyone to listen. You find yourself holding on to him as the one person who sees clearly. Miguel Borines is unsettling as Aniceto and adds a quiet tension to every scene. Carlos Blanco, Fer Fraga and Verónica Sánchez support them, and the small-town mood adds to the chill.
Not every critic was convinced, though. One felt the writing is weak and the actors do what they can. She also questioned the focus on the detective, since the victim seems to take a back seat. The name change from Isabel to Irene also did not sit well with her.
She did not understand the push toward a domestic violence angle either, as nobody who knew the couple described the marriage that way. And because the documentary came first, she felt there was little new to discover and never felt truly engaged.
That is a fair warning. If you have already seen the documentary, you may find the series repeats what you know. If you like fast, twisty thrillers, the slow pace may test your patience too. It is better suited to viewers who want a serious look at a real tragedy and how it could have been prevented.
If you want more to watch, our Student of the Year After Dark review covers a twisty campus murder mystery on JioHotstar. For a film about an underdog, try our I Play Rocky review, and for a lighter romance, read our Parivarik Manuranjan review.
Murder in Galicia is a sad and serious watch. It will not suit everyone, but it makes you think about how often help comes too late.
Murder in Galicia is now streaming on Netflix.