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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Unknown Origins’ on Netflix, a Spanish Satire of Superhero and Serial Killer Movies

Where to stream:.

• Unknown Origins ("Origenes secretos")
• superheroes

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Atypical Family’ on Netflix, A South Korean Drama About A Family Trying to Regain Their Superpowers

Will there be an 'x-men '97' season 2, 'x-men 97' ending explained: who were those new mutants we meet in the season 1 finale, sorry haters, 'madame web' is more fun than any mcu movie since 'avengers: endgame'.

From the It Was Bound to Happen Dept. comes Unknown Origins , a Spanish Netflix movie that blends serial-killer and superhero movie tropes into one spoofy soup. Perhaps coincidentally but possibly not, the film debuts on what would have been the 103rd birthday of Jack Kirby, the greatest comic artist the world has seen and the guy who co-created the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy, and dozens of other classic characters. Whether the movie and its bevy of Gold and Silver Age comic book references pay proper heed to the master is probably beside the point, but I bring it up to illustrate my heavy nerd cred, and to superfluously mention Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy. And now, let’s see if this is the Worst. Movie. Ever. Or not.

UNKNOWN ORIGINS : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: A cop rushes into a burning building and rescues an old woman. Others are still trapped inside. He ignores the advice of another officer and rushes back in. The ceiling collapses. There’s no subtitle, but it’s implied: SOME YEARS LATER, the cop’s father, Cosme (Antonio Resines), lives with his adult son Jorge (Brays Efe), who looks like 2020 Silent Bob plus 75 lbs. Jorge is a Dorito-munching slob with omnipresent crumbs in his beard and all over his dorkwad superhero T-shirt. In accordance with that stereotype, he runs a comic book shop/nerd emporium that’s the epicenter of everything David Valentin (Javier Rey) looks down upon with a scowl above his Agent Mulder trenchcoat. Valentin and Jorge are two guys who have diddly-shit in common, so wouldn’t it be nuts if they ended up partnering on a serial killer case? TOTALLY.

So what happens is, soon-to-be-retired detective Cosme mentors Valentin as they investigate gruesome crime scenes. Jorge looks over his dad’s shoulder and notes how one victim looks like the Hulk, but back in the 1960s, when he was grey, not green, which is the kind of thing a total virgin putz would know. The next death has something to do with an arms dealer and a man in a metal suit, which Valentin sees as an impenetrable riddle, but Jorge, and you, and I, anyone who’s been awake for the last decade, know how much the scenario has in common with Iron Man. Before you know it, Norma (Veronica Echegui), the head of the homicide dept. who happens to be an anime cosplayer and frequent attendee of poindexter parties at Jorge’s shop, throws a laminate around Jorge’s neck so he can help Valentin suss out clues at grisly crime scenes.

So Valentin and Jorge banter antagonistically until it becomes a little brotherly or, more appropriately, hero-sidekickly. Bodies pile up in gruesome homage to pulp classics, and maybe there’s a tie here to Valentin’s tragic past, but most definitely there’s a heap of geek-culture references for you to collect and polybag and never touch but brag about owning. So is this a funny and compelling setup for a movie, or is it just Holy Jumping Cliches Batman?

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Unknown Origins borrows the fundamental structure of Se7en (which is pronounced “suh-SEVEN-en,” by the way), tosses in some visual references to The Dark Knight trilogy and paints it with some Kick-Ass ish satirical tones.

Performance Worth Watching: Echegui gussies up the movie with some spirited moxie, a good feel for one-liners (even when they’re clunky with Game of Thrones references) and a willingness to wriggle ever-so-slightly free from the grip of character cliches.

Memorable Dialogue: “‘Valar Morghulis’ to everyone except the suit guy. To him, ‘Dracarys.’” — Norma gets all High Vlayrian-and-mighty on Valentin

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: It takes a decent chunk of time for director David Galan Galindo to settle on a tone, and by the time he eventually asserts that this is supposed to be funny, it’s too late, because we haven’t laughed — laughed at the gratuitous gore, the flippant and cynical medical examiner character, the fact that Jorge is yet another gumpster who smells like Fritos and wears a permanent sweat-sheen on his chubby face. Unknown Origins pushes back against that stereotype by shoehorning in a scene in which Jorge’s buddies reveal themselves to be self-made types and judges and whatnot, flying their freak flag proud and high.

But this circa-2002 dynamic is weary, because hasn’t the past decade-and-a-half of billion-dollar superhero movie and TV franchises determined that geek culture is the mainstream, allowing normies the freedom to set foot in comic stores to buy funnybooks and gaming card decks stigma-free, to openly debate the merits of the final season of Game of Thrones on Facebook without the threat of being undie-grundied and wet-willied by homunculus jocks?

Once we’ve finally determined that the film is supposed to be satire, we realize it lacks the wit to sooner establish Valentin as a stereotype of brooding neo-noir detective characters, or do much more than make us feel smug for snatching its Big Kahuna Burger and Sailor Moon references like Willie Mays to fly balls. This is tricky material, but it’s not impossible to navigate — I liked that a comic hero dubbed White Blackbird exists in this narrative — and in the right hands, it might burst with color and comedy. It seems restrained by a modest budget, as if a decent action sequence wasn’t affordable. And Jorge and Valentin aren’t written or performed with the verve they need to be OTT elbow-jabs in the ribs of the current pop-cultural zeitgeist.

Our Call: SKIP IT. If only Unknown Origins made us laugh a little more frequently, we’d be more likely to overlook its tonal and conceptual bumbling.

Should you stream or skip the Spanish satire #UnknownOrigins on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) August 31, 2020

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba .

Stream  Unknown Origins on Netflix

• Stream It Or Skip It

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Unknown origins, common sense media reviewers.

Graphic violence in unique take on superhero story.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

While the movie tries to show that comic book "gee

While the movie spends a lot of time among charact

Grisly police violence. Characters found murdered

Passionate kissing in one scene. The comic-book ob

Frequent profanity. "F--k" often used. Also: "s--t

Coca-Cola mentioned by name.

Wine drinking.

Parents need to know that Unknown Origins is a 2020 action-horror-comedy in which a slacker comic book store owner helps a cynical detective track down a serial killer. The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles. The murders are based on the origin stories of various superheroes, and there are graphic…

Positive Messages

While the movie tries to show that comic book "geeks" and cosplay enthusiasts can have successful careers and fulfilling lives, they're also frequently the butt of obvious and stereotypical jokes, including frequent mockery.

Positive Role Models

While the movie spends a lot of time among characters who are obsessed with comic books and cosplay, much of the humor is rooted in making cliched and stereotyped fun of "geeks," even as it makes some attempt to show that people interested in these things can have as successful careers and fulfilling lives as anyone else in the "real world."

Violence & Scariness

Grisly police violence. Characters found murdered in a variety of disturbing ways, their corpses graphically shown as the police coroner goes into detail about how they were tortured and killed. Characters fight with guns, punches, kicks, a tire iron. Talk of how a "kid" raped, dismembered, and decapitated a 6-year-old girl. Discussion of how a sibling of one of the lead characters died while saving three people from a burning building. Talk of how one of the lead character's parents were killed in a manner resembling how Bruce Wayne's parents were killed. Lead character talks of how he was bullied every day growing up, physically and verbally.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Passionate kissing in one scene. The comic-book obsessed lead character keeps a large collection of anime pornography hidden in a secret compartment behind his bedroom wall. Back side of overweight comic book-obsessed character shown for comedic effect in two scenes. Talk of masturbation. In a comic book store, two customers are overheard debating whether or not Dumbledore and Grindelwald ever had sex.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent profanity. "F--k" often used. Also: "s--t," "s--tballs," "d--khead," "piss," "bastard," "ass."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Unknown Origins is a 2020 action-horror-comedy in which a slacker comic book store owner helps a cynical detective track down a serial killer. The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles. The murders are based on the origin stories of various superheroes, and there are graphic depictions of the corpses when discovered at the crime scenes and in the morgue. In addition to the violence of the murders, there's other talk of violent crimes perpetrated, including a scene in which the coroner discusses how a "kid" raped, dismembered, and decapitated a 6-year-old girl. Frequent profanity, including "f--k." Also: "s--t," "s--tballs," "d--khead," "piss," "bastard," "ass." Talk of masturbation, sex, and scenes in which it's revealed that the comic bookstore owner keeps a large collection of anime pornography in his room. Brief nonsexual nudity -- a character's butt crack makes an appearance for the sake of comedy. Wine drinking. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In UNKNOWN ORIGINS, Madrid detective Cosme begins to transition into retirement. He's paired with David, a young and ambitious detective, as they seek to track down a serial killer committing a series of gruesome and seemingly random murders throughout the city. Enter Cosme's son Jorge Elias, a slacker comic book store owner. Upon learning of the murders, Jorge immediately recognizes the pattern: The killings are based on the origin stories of various superheroes. Jorge Elias is immediately sent to replace Cosme, much to David's chagrin. While David actively dislikes Jorge, it doesn't take long for Jorge to begin to establish a pattern in the killings that leads them deeper into the madness of the murderer. When David inadvertently discusses the traumatic event from his past that left him an orphan while a young boy, the seemingly unrelated clues all start to make a semblance of sense, and David and Jorge must track down the killer before he strikes again.

Is It Any Good?

While not perfect, this film does present a unique take on the superhero story. There are some nice twists that are clearly rooted in the familiar stories of misfits, conflicted heroes, and psychopathic bad guys, and out of these conventions, new heroes emerge with one foot in the comic book universe, and the other in the real world. This is especially true of the two lead characters, and while the "opposite" characters in police-centered movies is as cliched as it gets, there's enough in the acting and chemistry between the two leads to add something new to the storylines.

However, it's some of these very conventions that hinder Unknown Origins . For instance, it really doesn't take that long to figure out who the serial killer is if you pay the slightest bit of attention. And in terms of its conveyance of so-called geek culture, the movie can't seem to decide if it wants to portray comic book and cosplay enthusiasts as either the cliche of dateless and socially awkward weirdos or competent functioning adults with a quirky side hobby, and end up trying to have it both ways. With the former, the attempts at humor are lazy and unoriginal, and they tend to negate the latter. While it doesn't ruin what is otherwise an engaging movie, it does prevent it from being as good as it might have been.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about stories centered on superheroes. How does Unknown Origins play with the style and format of the superhero story?

This movie was based on a book. What would be the challenges in adapting a book into a movie?

How are fans of comic books and cosplay conveyed in the movie?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : August 28, 2020
• Cast : Brays Efe , Javier Rey , Verónica Echegui
• Director : David Galán Galindo
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Run time : 96 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : February 18, 2023

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Unknown Origins – Netflix Review (5/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Aug 28, 2020 | 3 minutes

UNKNOWN ORIGINS is a new Netflix movie from Spain. If you enjoy a movie that has both serial killer darkness, nerdy pop culture references, and plenty of likable characters, then check out this one. Read our full Unknown Origins review here!

UNKNOWN ORIGINS is a Spanish Netflix movie that covers a whole lot of wonderful genres. The original title is Orígenes secretos and the language is (of course) Spanish as well as the style.

This means lots of humor mixed in with some rather dark moments. Most importantly, it means wonderful and well-rounded characters to tell this very entertaining story.

Do yourself a favor and make sure you check this out on Netflix as soon as possible!

Continue reading out full Unknown Origins review below.

Se7en meets The Big Bang Theory

Unknown Origins is essentially Se7en meets The Big Bang Theory with a Shyamalan twist.

It’s easily comparable to Se7en due to the rather creative and elusive serial killer. In fact, the movie is even indirectly referenced at one point during their hunt for this serial killer. The Big Bang Theory element is a comic book store and lots of nerdy pop culture references.

The Shyamalan twist isn’t one that comes at the end but rather the twist from Unbreakable is the story in Unknown Origins .

Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds!

A cast full of Spanish stars

If you’ve watched any Spanish movies or series on Netflix during the past few years, you should recognize many of the actors in Unknown Origins .

The super nerd in this story is Jorge Elias who is portrayed by Brays Efe. He plays the title character in the Netflix series Paquita Salas . In this movie, however, he looks quite different. And we do get to see quite a lot of him!

The very serious detective, David Valentin, is played by Javier Rey. You might recognize him from the Netflix series Hache . Also, he starred in the Netflix thriller Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City .

Recommended reading: Our review of Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City >

In Unknown Origins , these two characters are polar opposites and both actors do a stellar job at breathing life into their respective characters. It’s all a bit over the top, but it never turns into a spoof.

This Netflix movie is a thriller, adventure, action, comedy, mystery, but never an actual spoof.

Verónica Echegui is the wonderful woman, Norma, in the midst of all the very different men. She’s the real deal and works perfectly as both a boss lady and a team player. You might recognize her from the Amazon Original series Fortitude (2015-2018) .

Watch Unknown Origins on Netflix now!

The director of Unknown Origins is David Galán Galindo, which might explain why this movie is so accomplished. It’s based on the novel he wrote himself (org. title Orígenes secretos ) and he also co-wrote the screenplay with Fernando Navarro.

Fernando Navarro previously worked with the Spanish horror master Paco Plaza ( REC ) on his horror movie Verónica (2017) . For David Galán Galindo this is far from his first production. He has written for everything from short films to feature films and TV series.

As a director, he also has plenty of experience though mostly from short films and anthologies. Unknown Origins is his feature film debut as a director which shows great potential for future films from him!

If you enjoy a movie that has both serial killer darkness, nerdy pop culture references, and plenty of likable characters, then do yourself a favor and check out Unknown Origins . With a runtime of just over an hour and a half, it’s the perfect Friday night comfort flick the world needs right now.

Also, don’t miss the end credits scene which is of course included as an obvious Marvel tribute.

Unknown Origins is out on Netflix from August 28, 2020.

Director: David Galán Galindo Writers: David Galán Galindo, Fernando Navarro Stars: Verónica Echegui, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Javier Rey, Álex García, Ernesto Alterio, Carlos Areces

Madrid, 2019. A serial killer is spreading chaos. Anonymous people with no apparent connection are being murdered while imitating the first appearances of the most famous superheroes.

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About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

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Unknown Origins review – twists we’ve seen before

As the Coronavirus creates massive social upheaval around the world, one chance of lesser note is that 2020 has become possibly the first summer in recent memory without superhero movies. The few exceptions, such as  The   Old Guard and those New Mutants , have emphasized lower stakes, character-based antics. But the lack of big-screen experiences doesn’t mean that superheroes are far from our screen.

Unknown Origins, Netflix’s new Spanish-language thriller, follows detectives on the case of a serial killer. Cosme (Antonio Resines) is a grizzled older cop who brings along up and coming detective David (Javier Ray) to a gruesome crime scene. The baffling murder is brought into light by Cosme’s comic-book obsessed son Jorge (Brays Efe) who notes its similarity to an edition of the Incredible Hulk. They realize their serial killer is inspired by superhero origin stories, giving Jorge a chance to prove his worth to his father.

If that sounds like a mashup of Seven (SeSevenen?) and Unbreakable , it’s because that’s exactly what Unknown Origins is, although with a side of “cops are the real superheroes” mentality. The film feels like a work of pastiche of the aforementioned films with nerd-dom in general, as Jorge’s knowledge helps them crack the case. Unfortunately, Unknown Origins never rises to the depth of either of those films.

Instead, it seems content to play out as a b-movie genre exercise, hitting all the tropes on the head, then underlining them again, just in case you didn’t catch them. Characters will speak plot points or their backstory seemingly unprompted. At a laundromat, Javier breaks it down to Cosme; “Everyone automatically assumes I wanted to become a cop because my parents are murdered… but it’s really because… I want to do the right thing.” Subtlety was clearly not at the top of the writers’ minds.

But what Unknown Origins lacks in subtext it makes up for in genre delight. There’s gore, suspense, superhero references, and some colorful characters, including a police chief with a penchant for cosplay, and a mortician who seems just a bit too happy with his profession. Anyone expecting a nuanced look into what turns fans into obsessives, or what separates law enforcement from vigilantes will be disappointed. For any Marvel fan looking to scratch that superhero itch, Unknown Origins will suffice.

Article by Jonathon Wilson

Jonathon is one of the co-founders of Ready Steady Cut and has been an instrumental part of the team since its inception in 2017. Jonathon has remained involved in all aspects of the site’s operation, mainly dedicated to its content output, remaining one of its primary Entertainment writers while also functioning as our dedicated Commissioning Editor, publishing over 6,500 articles.

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‘Unknown Origins’ review: Spanish Netflix thriller rehashes ‘Se7en’ with added superheroes

This Netflix mystery borrows heavily from David Fincher's cult classic

W hat if Stan Lee wrote  Se7en ? That’s the basic hook of Spanish thriller  Unknown Origins – a film about a serial killer who styles all his murders after comic book characters. Landing somewhere between a buddy cop comedy, a grown-up noir and a TV-grade superhero show, the tone is all over the place, but it has just enough good ideas to make it worth a watch.

Javier Rey is David, a strait-laced, no-nonsense detective who partners up with sage old Cosme (Antonio Resines) on his last day before retirement. In other words, the film starts off exactly like Se7en , with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman’s characters given a modern Madrid makeover. The first call of the day takes them to a grisly crime scene (complete with torches, rusty chains, and a thick haze of David Fincher grime) where a mild-mannered scientist has been force-fed steroids and skin-pigmentation drugs until he dies looking like The Incredible Hulk . Nearby, a page has been ripped out of an early Marvel comic, with the words “origin story” scratched into it – a not-so-subtle clue about what the killer’s MO might be.

Next up is a weapon’s dealer with his heart ripped out, Iron Man style, but before the case gets any weirder Cosme’s last day is already over, leaving Rey on his own. Luckily, Cosme has the perfect man to help him out – his geeky grown-up son Jorge (Brays Efe). Looking and sounding like Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons , Jorge is everything Rey isn’t – covered in Wotsit dust, completely incapable in a fight, and a fountain of knowledge on superheroes.

Now a reluctant double act, Rey and Jorge work through the clues to catch up with a killer who’s busy using fire, ice, acid, venomous spiders and hallucinogenic drugs to carve out his own supervillain story on the bodies of random victims throughout the Madrid underworld. “If all the murders were based on the seven deadly sins, it’d be a lot easier to solve,” says Jorge at one point – practically winking at the camera.

The roots of David Galán Galindo’s film might run deep into grown-up ’90s thrillers, but it often seems like he would have rather made a full-on comedy instead. Or maybe a superhero movie. Or a romcom. Whatever Unknown Origins is, it doesn’t stay that way for long. Rey and Jorge can be found arm deep in intestines at grisly autopsies one-minute and driving around bickering to the Batman theme song the next. The third-wheel addition of Police Commissioner Norma (Verónica Echegui) confuses things even more. She’s written as a by-the-book boss who also moonlights as a cosplay sewing instructor.

Recommended

By the time Rey and Norma start coldly flirting with each other, the film has already veered off into even odder territory by trying to become an original superhero origin story of its own. However much the film starts off as a quirky reimagining of Se7en , it ends up wanting to be the next  Watchmen  instead.

It’s a shame that Galindo didn’t stick with the one part of the script that works best – the double act between Rey and Jorge that would have made a great comedy without any of the extra furniture. It’s not difficult to see how a savvy Hollywood producer might look at  Unknown Origins and recast an American remake that mines a bit more humour from the idea that a moody detective has to partner up with a geeky gamer to solve crimes. Then again, there’s a weird amount of fun to be had in watching a film that tries to squeeze itself into five different pigeonholes instead of just one.

• Director: David Galán Galindo
• Starring: Javier Rey, Brays Efe, Verónica Echegui
• Release date: August 28 (Netflix)
• Related Topics

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Unknown Origins – Review

Unknown Origins could and should have been so much better: a self-aware buddy cop movie with a crime-fighting duo investigating murders inspired by superhero origin stories. Fast, fun, and exciting with knowing nods to an audience clued up on superhero lore, a sort of Scream for comic book fans. Instead we’ve got a grizzly, uninspired (and for some reason, vehemently anti-nerd) hero (Javier Rey) paired with a bumbling comic-obsessed geek (Brays Efe) in a storyline that’s filled with soap opera drama, shoehorned-in romance, and disappointingly low-budget action.

The plot and tone borrow heavily from a multitude of superhero and thriller films but ultimately is inferior to all the films it winks at. The opening is clearly influenced by Seven, complete with grimy opening titles, and torch-lit crime scenes, before veering wildly into Unbreakable and ending with Kick Ass . In the end, the film climaxes with a villain reveal that anyone could see coming and a conclusion so cartoonish it makes you wonder how it opened with a man being decapitated by a weightlifting bar and ended up as a Batman knock-off.

The film succeeds when it stops trying to be gritty and allows for silliness; the odd couple relationship between Rey and Efe has a genuinely funny quality. If the film followed this lighter path, it would have been a simple, pleasant, nerdy experience. It’s a hard pill to swallow when you’ve got two comedy close-up shots of Efe’s rear combined with a victim being burned alive.

While there’s some fun to be had in this superhero rip-off, it’s not enough to make up for Unknown Origins ‘ bizarre tonal shifts and lack of self-awareness, taking itself way too seriously as a superhero meets hard-boiled crime flick. 

RATING: 2/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Javier Rey, Verónica Echegui, Brays Efe

DIRECTOR: David Galán Galindo

WRITER: David Galán Galindo, Fernando Navarro (based on the novel by David Galán Galindo)

SYNOPSIS: A grizzled detective teams up with a comic book obsessed nerd to investigate a series of murders inspired by superhero origin stories.

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Mark Fisher wrote that it is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. It could also be said that it is easier to imagine the end of cinema than the end of superhero movies. No matter how devoid of any creative or human interest the genre has become, superhero movies are just part of our world now. There’s no point arguing with them; you might as well argue with the rain.

The new Netflix movie   Unknown Origins explores (albeit lightly) a much richer and more interesting topic than superheroes themselves—that being superhero fandom. Like Unbreakable before it (and the similarities between the two movies are strong), it raises the issue of why this one particular form of disposable popular culture has risen to such an unshakable ascendancy.

Unknown Origins follows a group of detectives investigating a series of horrific murders in Madrid. Someone has begun killing people in extravagant reenactments of superhero origin stories—for instance, a puny nuclear scientist is forced to take steroids and lift weights until he swells up like the Incredible Hulk and is finally crushed beneath a barbell. There are strong reminiscences of Se7en in the film’s narrative, and like Se7en there’s a good deal of prurient interest in seeing how each murder will top the last for pure grotesquery.

It sounds like a gimmicky premise, and perhaps it is, but David Galan Galindo ‘s film   also shows that a film which does everything else well can elevate what, on paper, sounds facile and dull. Beneath the surface of this movie there’s an effective procedural which sustains strong narrative interest. The movie does a good job of sowing red herrings and creating genuine interest in the identity of the killer.

The characters are all funny and well-drawn. The protagonist, David ( Javier Rey ), is comically serious and intense, and he’s paired with an oafish nerd, Jorge ( Brays Efe ), son of a retiring detective, who lends his encyclopedic knowledge of popular culture to the case. Their odd-couple interactions are pretty amusing—“I don’t give a shit about Watchmen !” David exclaims, when Jorge tries to sell him on the idea that comic books aren’t just for children.

They’re overseen by Norma ( Veronica Echegui ), head of the homicide squad, a police prodigy who cosplays in her spare time. Plunged into this world of geeks and obsessives (where, as Jorge reminds him, he’s the outsider), David is forced to face the implications of his own tragic past. The film rests on an interesting problem—David thinks his life is his own, but perhaps he’s just living out somebody else’s hackneyed narrative. As Norma points out to him, his austere suit and coat are just a costume from a 90s police procedural.

I enjoyed Unknown Origins a lot. It has some nice human moments without becoming sentimental, and it ends on a suitably weird, ambiguous note, even if the epilogue is rushed. It’s hard to make a pastiche like this work, but the film successfully brings together a lot of different clichés and rearranges them to create something genuinely entertaining and interesting.

Unknown Origins Movie Review: An ode to superheroes

Rating: ( 3 / 5).

There’s no dearth of superhero cinema, it seems. On OTT platforms, the second season of The Boys is awaited, while recent releases include films like The Old Guard, Warrior Nun and Project Power . The latest to join this list is the Spanish film, Orígenes Secretos/Unknown Origins.

Directed by David Galán Galindo—the man behind the comic series the film is based on—it wears the superhero film stereotype with pride. This ode to superheroes is also full of pop culture references for fans of the genre.

The film is the story of an unlikely friendship. After his cop brother dies on the job, Jorge Elias (Brays Efe), the knowledgeable owner of a comic book shop, lives a life of resentment and negligence.

When a serial killer takes inspiration from comic books, Jorge’s knowledge comes in handy and he partners with a cop to take down the baddie. As with many buddy-cop films, this one too is about two starkly different people coming together against the odds to save the day.

For the comic book lover, references in this film are aplenty, including those that draw attention to Conan, Kill Bill, Game of Thrones, 300, The Lord of the Rings, Incredibles, Star Wars … There’s even a mailman who seems modelled on Stan Lee.

Even this homage is layered and serves as a callback to Stan Lee’s cameo in Captain America: Civil War. And what about the all-too-familiar idea of David’s parents getting killed as the family returns from a movie theatre? These are all not mere references, but serve to push the plot forward, apart from providing comic relief.

It’s when this film begins to take itself too seriously that it falters. It also can’t seem to make up its mind on whether it’s a lighthearted homage or a serious origins story. The limited budget hampers the action sequences as well.

Despite the uneven tone and an unconvincing transition from comedy to action in its third act, director Galindo convinces with enjoyable pop culture references, unflinching brutality in action sequences, and some eminently likeable characterisation. With a more formidable villain and a better climax, O rígenes Secretos could have become a top, top film in the genre. For now, it has to settle for being a reasonably satisfying, nerdy take on the genre.

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Unknown Origins Parent Guide

The premise is interesting. the movie isn't..

Netflix: A deranged serial killer stalks the streets of Madrid, leaving their victims posed in imitations of the first appearances of famous superheroes.

Release date August 28, 2020

Run Time: 100 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by keith hawkes.

David (Javier Rey) is a police inspector in Madrid, and he’s on the trail of a serial killer. The deranged murderer has been killing victims and posing their bodies in reference to the origin stories of famous superheroes. Unfortunately, David knows nothing about superheroes, let alone their obscure original publications: to that end, he’s been paired up with Jorge (Brays Efe), a comic book store owner who has a near encyclopedic knowledge of all things geek. Although the two don’t necessarily see eye to eye, they both recognize that their priority has to be the killer haunting the city…but whether they can catch him is another story.

This movie has a terminal tone problem. It’s trying to be gritty and realistic and dark, which makes sense for a movie about a psychotic murderer…and then it crams in the brightly colored “Big Bang Theory” style comic bookstore and the associated spandex-clad heroes. Some flavors just don’t mix, and these two go together about as well as raw onion and strawberry ice cream. Maybe the flavor profile is different in Spain, but I’m not sure it travels well, if that’s the case.

Unknown Origins is also completely unsuitable for children or the easily nauseated, due to both the graphic and gruesome violence and to the non-stop stream of profanity. Now, I watched this in the original Spanish with English captions, because watching dubbed movies gives me a headache, so the profanity count might vary slightly if you watch it in English, but I doubt it varies by dozens of extreme profanities. Even if it miraculously cleans up when you watch it en inglés, it’s not worth watching. There is a glut of superhero movies, and a comparable number of cop thrillers. You would be better off watching almost any of them on their own – or, for a similar experience, one of each simultaneously.

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Keith hawkes, watch the trailer for unknown origins.

Unknown Origins Rating & Content Info

Why is Unknown Origins rated TV-MA? Unknown Origins is rated TV-MA by the MPAA

Violence: There are graphic depictions of murders, including badly decaying bodies, burned corpses, and individuals with severe acid injuries. An individual deliberately destroys their own face with a bucket of acid. A person is killed in a house fire. A dead body is shown with the neck crushed in and both wrists snapped nearly off. There is brief depiction of an autopsy. Several people are shot and killed. Several people are shown suffering from extreme polonium poisoning. Sexual Content: There is brief discussion of the rape and dismemberment of a six-year-old girl. Several comic book covers featuring female toplessness are seen. Profanity: There are 44 uses of extreme profanity, 27 uses of scatological cursing, and occasional use of mild profanity and terms of deity. Alcohol / Drug Use: Individuals are occasionally shown drinking wine with meals. There are a few references to illicit drug use, but no drugs are seen.

Page last updated October 27, 2020

The most recent home video release of Unknown Origins movie is August 28, 2020. Here are some details…

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This movie draws heavily from David Fincher’s Se7en , which tracks the police investigation of a serial murderer who stages his victims in the theme of the seven deadly sins. Another obvious influence is Unbreakable , starring Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis. The sequel, Glass , is atrocious and should be avoided at all costs. Kick-Ass is another source for the film. Superhero films referenced directly in this film include Batman (the 1989 version starring Michael Keaton), The Dark Knight , X-Men , Watchmen, and Iron Man . Other superhero origin stories are mentioned, but those films specifically turn up in the story.

A Comic Book-Inspired Killer Strikes in Goofy Thriller Unknown Origins

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The depiction of superheroes and superhero fan culture in the silly Spanish thriller Unknown Origins rarely goes beyond the superficial, but it’s still often endearing thanks to its combination of fanboy enthusiasm and murder mystery. Like a cross between David Fincher’s Seven and a Kevin Smith movie, Unknown Origins teams a brooding police detective with a portly comic-book shop owner to track a serial killer whose murders are all inspired by superhero origin stories. It’s a ridiculous but surprisingly solid premise, at least for a little while, thanks to the chemistry between lead actors Javier Rey and Brays Efe.

It’s a bit surprising that Netflix isn’t facing a lawsuit for blatantly incorporating famous Marvel and DC characters into this gruesome tale, in which people are murdered in ways that pay homage to the origins of the Hulk, Iron Man, the Human Torch, Spider-Man, Batman and the X-Men, rather than fictional superheroes invented for the movie. The title’s literal translation is Secret Origins , but that’s presumably too close to the trademarked title of a long-running DC series.

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The movie's killer knows his comics minutiae, leaving clippings of the corresponding classic issue covers at each murder scene. As superhero expert Jorge (Efe) points out, the killer is even knowledgeable enough to label the Batman murder scene with the issue of Detective Comics that first tells Batman’s origin, and not the earlier issue featuring Batman’s first appearance. And his Hulk-themed murder uses gray skin, not green, because that’s the way the Hulk initially appeared.

David (Rey), who’s new to the Madrid police force, resents having to let Jorge tag along on the investigation, and generally scoffs at comic books and superheroes as kids’ stuff. Even as the movie indulges in some broad geek stereotypes, though, director and co-writer David Galán Galindo is quick to point out how wrong David is about superhero fans. Norma (Verónica Echegui), David’s boss and the head of the homicide division, is an avid cosplayer who often rushes to the office still dressed in vaguely anime-style outfits, and in one scene at Jorge’s comics shop, Jorge’s patrons rattle off a list of their entirely respectable occupations when David accuses them of being losers.

Initially, David’s partner is Jorge’s father Cosme (Antonio Resines), a veteran detective who is on the verge of retirement, and a subplot about Cosme’s health issues and family difficulties feels tacked on, although it eventually serves to foreshadow the movie’s shift into a full-on superhero story. What starts out as a superhero-themed murder mystery turns into something much less grounded, drawing influence from M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable and Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies as much as from Seven or other serial killer movies.

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Galindo can’t quite pull off the transition from slightly comedic police procedural to grand action movie, and the resolution to the central mystery lacks the shocking impact that both the movie and the killer (who fancies himself a supervillain) are aiming for. For a while, it’s a fun riff on superhero movies, brutal killings aside, and Galindo seems to know his comic books, despite often relying on stereotypes. There’s a joke about how much comics readers like to complain about Brian Michael Bendis, and there’s a cameo-style appearance from a delivery guy who looks suspiciously like Stan Lee. And the target of the humor is more often David for not knowing about superheroes than it is the actual fanboys and fangirls.

Those bits become repetitive after a while, however, and as the central mystery takes over the story and the tone becomes darker, Galindo loses sight of what makes the movie unique. Rather than a fun remix of superhero clichés, it becomes an embodiment of those clichés, with David on his way to taking up the mantle of a vigilante hero to match up with the Joker-style supervillain. Galindo doesn’t have the budget to pull off a large-scale superhero movie, which isn’t a problem when he’s depicting makeshift recreations of superhero stories, but becomes increasingly apparent as he attempts to stage more elaborate action sequences.

Unknown Origins suffers from some of the same problems as "real world" superhero movies like Kick-Ass or James Gunn's  Super , which start out as grounded versions of fantastical stories, only to end up just as stylized and unrealistic as the source material they’re theoretically critiquing. By its third act, Unknown Origins has become entirely serious and entirely unrealistic, and as a result, it’s no longer fun to watch. It’s tough to take the characters’ anguish seriously, and it’s tough to care about their potential triumph against an adversary whose identity seems entirely arbitrary. Plus, the climactic fight between David and the villain feels like a cosplay stunt demonstration at a second-tier comic-con.

By that point, Unknown Origins has fully immersed itself in the superhero genre with elements like the villain’s city-threatening plan and a team of costumed vigilantes. There’s even a post-credits scene, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Galindo was angling to set up his own cinematic universe, or at least a sequel. His goofy send-up of gritty superhero stories winds up turning into the very thing it’s poking fun at.

Starring Javier Rey, Brays Efe, Verónica Echegui, Antonio Resines and Ernesto Alterio, Unknown Origins premieres Friday on Netflix.

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Ava DuVernay is an inquisitive filmmaker, curious about social structures and collective grief. Her newest picture, the ambitious investigative film, “Origin,” has a scene that blends DuVernay’s interests with her rigor. Following a sold-out public talk for her book The Warmth of Other Suns , Isabel Wilkerson ( Aunjanue Ellis ) bumps into her persistent editor Amari ( Blair Underwood ) backstage. He wants her to write about the recent death of Trayvon Martin, a tragedy that is impacting the nation at the time. “You have a stable of writers,” Isabel playfully balks. “They don’t have Pulitzer Prizes,” he coolly resorts. Though it’s all done in jest, Isable does have a pragmatic reason for not jumping in. “I want to be in the story, really inside the story,” she says. “And yes, that takes time.” A methodological ethos for DuVernay’s career, the scene also explains the emotional labor required to watch “Origin.”    

However, DuVernay’s adaptation of journalist Isabel Wilkerson’s nonfiction work Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents , isn’t a duty or a burden. It brims with intoxicated conviction. Isabel and her adoring husband Brett ( Jon Bernthal ) are an ideal couple, comfortable in the other’s habits and sympathetic to one another’s needs. They begin the film searching for an assisted living home for Isabel’s mother ( Emily Yancy ). Isabel knows maternal loss is coming. Isabel suffers grave setbacks, tragedies that ultimately inspire her to throw herself into writing a book about Martin. The sprawling work won’t just concern race—racism as a concept limits our understanding of what happened to Martin. 

“Origin” aims to link the violent repercussions of American slavery to the horrific crimes of the Holocaust to India’s degrading caste system in a narrative that combines gnawing grief with a cyclical sense of history. Though many question the logic behind Isabel’s thesis, she travels to Germany to visit monuments (The Empty Library) and the Berlin State Library in a bid to discover whether the “Final Solution” borrowed from American slavery. During a dinner, intermingled with gentle music and relaxing red wine, her Jewish-German friend Sabine ( Connie Nielsen ) makes her doubts known. “A framework is not a book, my friends,” says a patronizing Sabine. “She’s trying to connect the United States with Germany. But it doesn’t fit.” The camera cuts to a low angle; Isabel tries to remain calm. Her wild, frantic eyes, however, betray her disdain as Sabine explains American slavery to this Black woman. The anger simmering within Isabel isn’t academic. It’s a tenacity to break assumptions that Ellis-Taylor fully embodies.  

Visually translating Isabel’s book is a tricky task. Shooting on film helps. The consistency offered by 16mm means that DuVernay doesn’t rely on tawdry means, such as adding an ugly patina to the photography to indicate changes in decades. Because whether she jumps from Nazi Germany or to Jim Crow South or to early 20th century India, DuVernay wants her aesthetic continuity to mirror Isabel’s connective thesis. The texture of film also establishes the necessary intimacy required for witnessing. Cinematographer Matthew J. Lloyd loves close-ups, trusting Ellis-Taylor to conjure Isabel’s twisting stream of emotions.

For her part, DuVernay carves quiet opportunities for dynamic reflection to take place. These hushed moments can be personal, such as when Isabel recalls the time she met her husband, Brett. Years ago, he humbly crossed his suburban street to help her with an obstinate white exterminator, challenging the worker to finish the job. Brett, tellingly, recognizes his own white knighting. “Did I just mansplain,” he asks Isabel. “Well, you did ask permission … and if you hadn’t,” says a blushing Ellis-Taylor. “I’d be in white savior mode,” Brett responds. The flirtatious text is one Bernthal, an actor of exceptional soulfulness, has studied. It’s an answer Isabel handsomely accepts.  

Isabel’s cousin Marion (a tender Niecy Nash ) offers Isabel acceptance and laughs, prompting her to distill her thesis into simple terms, even while struggling with her own health. Nash’s humor and patience balances with the film’s heady topics. A recharged Isabel continues her research, venturing to India to meet with Dalit professor Suraj Yengde (as himself) to learn about the Dalit activist Bhimrao Ambedkar (Gaurav J. Pathania). Though Isabel is there to research the Dalit caste, her application of “caste” isn’t culturally specific. Rather its broader definition, the privileges systemically inherited by a “dominant” class of people, is her lens for analyzing the shared mechanics of dehumanization and oppression that have occurred across cultures, countries, and generations. 

While it can be exhilarating to see Isabel make these connections, some scenes lack such elasticity. When her basement is leaking, for instance, Isabel calls a plumber ( Nick Offerman ) who arrives wearing a red MAGA cap. Through her grief, she convinces the plumber to actually fix the leak. But the sequence feels too didactic and on-the-nose to be revelatory. That doesn’t mean “Origin” should be dismissed as a lengthy lecture. At its core, “Origin” is a journalistic film. Similar to all great reporting, it demands for the viewer to not look away. Thus, as Isabel continues to research—interviewing, reading, and writing—what we see is a Black woman at work in a profession that cinematically is too often reserved for white people. In turn, “Origin” becomes a cumulative statement for DuVernay’s cinematic demand for the viewer to bear witness. 

The director’s achievement is rare in Hollywood. Black women are often excluded from the industry before they can build a robust body of work. But from DuVernay's “ I Will Follow ” to “ When They See Us ,” you can see her increased command in intermingling collective ache with imperative action. Here, she is meditative, poetic, and nearly unfaltering. Importantly, the director’s desire never erodes into degradation porn. In fact, the film’s ending—a swirling, lyrical, tightly constructed summation of Isabel’s argument—is a landmark in DuVernay’s visual lexicon. Sometimes too overt, “Origin” isn’t a perfect movie. But the character of a truly great film isn’t found in its perfection. Rather it arises from how the narrative moves, challenges, and hugs the heart. Rich in thought, “Origin” is a dense, forceful masterwork, and, quite simply, the most radical film of DuVernay’s career.

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the  New York Times ,  IndieWire , and  Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the  Los Angeles Times , and  Rolling Stone  about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

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Film Credits

Origin (2023)

Rated PG-13

135 minutes

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson

Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton

Niecy Nash as Marion Wilkerson

Emily Yancy as Ruby Wilkerson

Finn Wittrock as August Landmesser

Victoria Pedretti as Irma Eckler

Jasmine Cephas Jones as Elizabeth Davis

Isha Blaaker as Allison Davis

Vera Farmiga as Kate Medina

Audra McDonald as Miss Hale

Connie Nielsen as Sabine

Blair Underwood as Amari Selvan

Nick Offerman as Dave the Plumber

• Ava DuVernay

Director of Photography

• Matthew J. Lloyd

Original Music Composer

• Kris Bowers

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Origin Unknown Reviews

White-collar criminal readies himself and his family for trouble from his drug-runner employers when Hell of a different kind comes down on his sanctuary. Entertaining supernatural swashbuckling stuff, with more lavish style than substance.

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Not so much a fresh twist as it is a remix of the vampire genre. Origin Unknown will delight genre fans of all shapes, sizes, and tastes.

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Rigoberto Castañeda's genre-blurring Origin Unknown (Sin Origen) shows a family trying to maintain its fragile intergrity while under siege

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Film Review: Navigating the unknown in ‘Babes’

How do we not talk about this all the time??

In “Babes,” this is said by Eden (Ilana Glazer) in reference to the miracle of childbirth. She’s a little dumbfounded at this moment, having just given birth herself. She stares down at her baby, breathless at what the human body is capable of – she grew a person, for crying out loud! Then, a doctor tells her to start pushing again. 

This is the part of the movie where we might usually find out our protagonist is having twins, a fact somehow missed in the dozens of check-ups that she underwent to get to this moment in the first place. But not in “Babes.” No, the reason Eden needs to start pushing again is because she needs to push out the placenta. Her best friend Dawn (Michelle Buteau) leans over and says to her – and us – “They don’t tell you about this part.” 

That’s kind of the ethos of “Babes” in a nutshell. There aren’t too many movies about pregnancy, and, in particular, not too many raunchy comedies about the real nitty gritty of that experience. “Babes,” directed by Pamela Adlon in her feature debut and written by Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz, not only dives into pregnancy and all the messiness that entails, but the particulars of female friendship at a certain stage in life that are often left undiscussed. The film’s broad comedy structure holds something a little more specific, its quirky humor and soft heart on full display. 

Eden and Dawn have been best friends since they were kids, their bond making it through absentee fathers, marriages, babies, and the like. After Dawn gives birth to her second child with her husband Marty (Hasan Minhaj), Eden has a clandestine meeting with a stranger on the train ride home. The stranger’s name is Claude (Stephan James), and Eden and Claude share a brief, passionate night together that results in Eden getting pregnant. When she chooses to keep the baby, her and Dawn’s relationship begins to strain under the pressure of both of their newfound responsibilities. 

In a lot of ways, “Babes” feels like a standard R-rated comedy, particularly in its construction. Gross out humor? Check. Funny side characters? Check. Random cameos (hello Darren Criss)? Check. But this tried and true structure can feel fresh when applied to a new kind of story. The film opens up with a sequence where Dawn goes into labor, heaving and groaning her way through a crowded restaurant while Eden serves as her hype man, assuring her the only reason everyone is staring is because they are in awe of her majesty. When they make it to the hospital, it’s all Eden can do not to ralph in the delivery room as the wonder of childbirth is tainted with the fact that a lot of women have bowel movements during the process. 

Once again, this is something that no one really warns you about, and “Babes” is interested in how these two best friends navigate those moments of surprise. That feeling of unpreparedness is set up from the beginning. When Dawn initially goes into labor, she brushes it off – her first labor took like, 25 hours after all. What’s the rush? But, as Dawn quickly learns, having two babies is quite different than having one. Buteau infuses Dawn with a real motherly warmth, something that Eden latches onto, having lost her own mother early and with a father who has trouble showing up for her. Sometimes, their relationship can feel less like a friendship and more like a parent and a child. When Eden tells Dawn of her decision to keep the baby, you can tell Dawn doesn’t necessarily think it’s a good idea, but keeps her mouth shut in the name of being supportive – entertaining Eden’s wild notions as she’s always done. 

This conflict leads to a plethora of funny moments – there’s a bit involving “The Omen” that I will be thinking about for quite some time – but as much as “Babes” is hilarious, it also doesn’t shy away from its tougher themes. It can be hard to be supportive when you don’t feel supported yourself. So much of “Babes” is centered around Eden, but Dawn’s side of the story holds the most complexity. In a quiet moment with her husband, she laments that she thought having a baby wouldn’t be as hard the second time around, the stress of work and family – and Eden – overpowering to the point of combustion. At the same time, Eden has never felt more alone as Dawn’s familial responsibilities take precedence over the found family they’ve built over the years. That schism between them leaves them both behaving poorly. When Dawn suggests Eden take a baby moon for one last hurrah before she gives birth, she treats it as her own getaway, more of a respite from her life than a celebration of Eden. At the same time, Eden suggests she and her baby move into Dawn’s basement. No one is thinking clearly. 

There’s something that happens when you’ve been friends for as long as these two have – you start considering each other as inevitable. You don’t think about drifting apart, because at some point it feels laughable. So this crossroads – one neither of them have ever considered even thinking about how to navigate – comes as a shock. Much like pushing out the placenta, these are the parts of life no one really talks about. But “Babes,” a comedy through and through, is all about the happy ending – we might not feel prepared for what’s to come, but we can navigate those transitions and all their sticky, thorny messes together.

The post Film Review: Navigating the unknown in ‘Babes’ appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta .

• Cast & crew

Mufasa: The Lion King

Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored. Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored. Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored.

• Barry Jenkins
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• Trivia The prequel film will not be a sequel remake of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) , the direct-to-video sequel to the original film.

Rafiki : [from trailer] This story begins far beyond the mountains and the shadows. On the other side of the light, a lion was born without a drop of nobility in his blood. A lion who change our lives forever. The earth will shake, destiny awaits you.

• Connections Featured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Sequel of Life (2020)
• When will Mufasa: The Lion King be released? Powered by Alexa
• December 20, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Vua Sư Tử: Mufasa
• South Africa
• The Walt Disney Company
• Walt Disney Pictures
• Walt Disney Studios
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• IMAX 6-Track
• D-Cinema 96kHz 7.1
• 12-Track Digital Sound
• Dolby Digital
• D-Cinema 96kHz Dolby Surround 7.1

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