''Unknown Origins'' ( es, Orígenes secretos, links=no) is a 2020 Spanish thriller film directed by , written by David Galán Galindo and Fernando Navarro, based on Galindo's novel of the same name, and starring

Javier Rey Javier Rey (born 25 February 1980) is a Spanish actor. He is popular for his performance in the television series ''Fariña''. Biography Born in Noia, Galicia on 25 February 1980. He was an avid comic book collector before starting his actin ...

Verónica Echegui Verónica Fernández Echegaray (born 16 June 1983), known professionally as Verónica Echegui, is a Spanish actress. Since making her feature film debut as the title character of the 2006 drama '' My Name Is Juani'' she has featured in films s ...

and

Brays Efe Brays Fernández Vidal (born 30 September 1988), best known by the stage name Brays Efe, is a Spanish actor and television personality. He became popular for his role in the comedy web series '' Paquita Salas''. Biography Brays Fernández Vidal w ...

alongside

Antonio Resines Antonio Fernández Resines (born 7 August 1954) professionally known as Antonio Resines, is a Spanish film and television actor known for his performance in comedy films and series. Biography He was born 'by accident' on 7 August 1954 in Tor ...

Plot

Set in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

in 2019, the plot sees a psychotic character using comics and

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

es' origin stories to kill people and leaves a mark. One man is killed after being fed enough supplements and steroids to be the

Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...

. Another has his heart plucked out and is covered in a metallic suit. Attempting to stop this is Inspector David, a man who feels comics are for overgrown adults and quickly pays the price for that sort of criticism. Initially, he is assisted by Cosme, a cop spending his final days on the force after being forced to turn in his resignation. David's boss is the homicide chief (Norma), who loves

cosplaying Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

. In her words, she doesn't read comics, rather she watches movies and anime. Joining the duo is Jorge Elías, Cosme's son. He is a comic

geek The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In th ...

and runs a comic book store in the city. When Cosme realizes the demented villain commits murders in the form of creating superhero

origin stories In entertainment, an origin story is an account or backstory revealing how a Character (arts), character or group of people become a protagonist or antagonist, and it adds to the overall interest and complexity of a narrative, often giving reason ...

, he feels Jorge is better suited to work the case with David. Things escalate when David realizes his parents were killed the same way as

Martha Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to ...

and

Thomas Wayne Thomas Alan Wayne, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the father of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and husband of Martha Wayne as well as the paternal grandfather of Damian Wayne. Wayne was introd ...

were killed in the comics. Jorge, David, and Norma go up against a secret killer who is ahead of them the whole time. With time running out for the trio to find the killer, they face pressure as the news goes public. Bruguera, the forensic man in the department, is eventually revealed to be the killer and the rest of the story follows the trio attempting to put an end to his nefarious plans.

Cast

Release

The film was scheduled to show at the 2020

Málaga Film Festival The Málaga Film Festival, formerly Málaga Spanish Film Festival (FMCE), is an annual film festival held in Málaga, Spain. The festival was established to promote Spanish cinema and help disseminate information about Spanish films. Since 2017, ...

, but filmmakers pulled it from the schedule when the festival dates changed from March to August. It was released on August 28, 2020 on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

Accolades

, - , align = "center" rowspan = "4" , 2021 , ,

8th Feroz Awards The 8th ceremony of the Feroz Awards was held at the Teatro Coliseum in Madrid, on 2 March 2021. The ceremony was hosted by Pilar Castro. Originally scheduled to take place on 8 February 2021 at the Teatro Ciudad de Alcobendas in Alcobendas, the ...

, , colspan = "2" , Best Comedy Film , , , , align = "center" , , - , rowspan = "3" , 35th Goya Awards , , Best Adapted Screenplay , , David Galán Galindo, Fernando Navarro , , , , rowspan = "3" , , - , Best Makeup and Hairstyles , , Paula Cruz, Jesús Guerra, Nacho Díaz , , , - , Best Special Effects , , Lluis Rivera Jove, Helmuth Barnert , ,

References

External links