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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
A Widow's Game review: New Netflix thriller based on a shocking true crime story lacks bite
People are truly crazy in love, or they are just too good at pretending. People are also capable of the worst, even if they seem to be ticking all the right boxes from a distance. The new Netflix entry, A Widow's Game (La Viuda Negra in Spanish), tells the story of just the two most easy-going people who commit a serious crime. It is based on the real-life story of the murder of Antonio Navarro Cerdán, a 36-year-old industrial engineer, after which his widow, María Jesús Moreno Cantó, known as Maje, fell under the scanner. Even if you do take a quick second to Google what really happened to Antonio and what propelled it, this new film is worthy enough for your time. It just doesn't smell like dirt enough. (Also read: Sirens review: Julianne Moore leads a possible wellness cult in campy new Netflix show) The film begins like a standard investigative police procedural with the introduction of Eva (Carmen Machi), who is the well-known inspector of the local Homicide Group. Antonio has been stabbed in the garage, the blood is all over the place. Eva is told the intensity of those multiple hits resembles that of a man- it seems the murderer kept prepared to kill. Eva nods and proceeds with business-like propensity: she has also got to uphold the impressive track record of her team. Soon, the news reaches Antonio's wife, Maje (Ivana Baquero), who is called in for questioning. This definitely isn't robbery, there's something too concise and incisive about it all. Maje is called in for questioning, and some of her lies are caught at the very beginning. But this is not about the lies per se; it is more about the cover-up and why it went in this nasty direction. From here on, the film makes a strategic narrative choice, shifting the perspective from Eva to Maje and then to someone else entirely. It is a move that ultimately kills the intrigue and, more bafflingly, the nuance of these characters. The sleek production design and fuss-free mise en scène begin to itch. Even as the focus shifts to multiplicities, the film does not really take a breath to care about these perspectives. There's a certain distance between character and subjectivity that makes the film feel polished on all fronts. But this is a story of a ruthless, passion-filled crime, one that demands push and pull, a certain brashness to it. A Widow's Game feels morbid without the stench of death, and hollow in the way it avoids confronting the banality of this evil. Even as Maje goes through a range of conflicting emotions and dilemmas, the film somehow finds a way to conclude that it will be taken care of. It all comes down to the cast, and thankfully, they inject some vitality into their performances. Tristán Ulloa is the standout, so convincing and quietly terrifying in his silences that pop up quite late into the narrative. Carmen Machi adds the much-needed concern and heart into this cold, sanctimonious treatment. As Maje, Baquero is in fine form, but we never really get to meet the woman behind the walls of her slowly crumbling household. Later, when she visits her husband's parents to seek a pragmatic response, it is shocking to see how little we, the viewer, really do care about her immediate actions. She is no Gone Girl. A Widow's Game is a neat and polished dramatisation of a messy and radical crime. Perhaps that's the point the film wants to make, that it does not matter much because the root of all of it is just too vile to care about. It denies involvement, a lack of provocation in this unforgivable act of deceit. Mostly, it lacks the heart to dig deeper into the wound that it capitalises upon. A Widow's Game is available to watch on Netflix.
Time Magazine
4 days ago
- Time Magazine
The Shocking True Story Behind Netflix's A Widow's Game
On the morning of August 16, 2017, Antonio Navarro Cerdán, a 36-year-old industrial engineer, left his home to go to work in Valencia, Spain. He lived in the Patraix neighborhood with his wife, María Jesús Moreno Cantó—known as Maje. Antonio never even started the car: he was ambushed in the building's garage by a man who had been hiding among the vehicles. Stabbed in the chest, he died at the scene. From the start, police ruled out robbery as a motive—nothing had been taken. The case quickly took a dark turn, revealing a carefully orchestrated plot, with the widow Maje at its center. This real-life story of betrayal, manipulation, and premeditated murder inspired the new Spanish thriller A Widow's Game (La Viuda Negra), premiering May 30 on Netflix. Here's everything you need to know about the true crime behind the Netflix film. The widow At the time of Antonio's murder, Maje was 27 years-old and described as sweet, vain, and charismatic. A nurse at a city hospital, she appeared in the media as a young widow devastated by a senseless tragedy. She publicly expressed disbelief over the brutality of the murder. But investigators were struck by her calm and calculated demeanor during early questioning. Reports noted that her emotional responses didn't align with those of someone in mourning. The investigation focused on the victim's inner circle and soon revealed that Maje was leading a double life. Despite her image as a devoted wife, she was engaged in multiple extramarital affairs. One of them, with Salvador Rodrigo Lapiedra, a janitor at her hospital, became key to the case. Salvador was deeply in love with Maje, who fueled his feelings with promises of a future together and alleged stories of domestic abuse. Phone taps uncovered incriminating conversations between the two, making it clear they had planned Antonio's murder in advance. The premeditated crime Maje convinced Salvador to carry out the murder. He hid in the couple's building garage in Valencia, armed with a kitchen knife, while Maje was away from the home. Salvador waited, and when Antonio came down, ambushed and stabbed him to death. Maje had told her lover the times her husband usually left, which routes he took, and even gave him the garage keys. The crime was meticulously planned. The murder weapon was discarded in a cesspit on Salvador's property and would only be recovered months later, with his help, after his confession. The fall of the Black Widow of Patraix Maje and Salvador were arrested in January 2018. Initially, Salvador tried to protect her, but changed his story after learning she had become romantically involved with another inmate while in custody. In a new statement, he admitted to committing the murder with Maje's full support and encouragement. 'In my previous statement, I said it was all my idea. But it was both of us,' says Salvador in a real recording from the hearing revealed at the end of the movie. According to Salvador, Maje portrayed herself as a victim of psychological and physical abuse. She told him that if her husband died, she would be free without going through a divorce — which would leave her without a widow's pension or inheritance. Maje denied any involvement in her husband's death. But the court found overwhelming evidence—including text messages, phone calls, and witness testimonies—that dismantled her version and pointed to a jointly planned crime. In October 2020, Maje was sentenced to 22 years in prison for murder with the aggravating circumstance of kinship. Salvador received a 17 year sentence, with time reduced for cooperating with the investigation. Both were ordered to pay €250,000 (approximately $282.437,50 USD) in damages to Antonio's family. A jury found them both guilty, highlighting Maje's psychological manipulation of her lover as a decisive factor. After the crime While serving her sentence, Maje became pregnant by another inmate. In July 2023, she gave birth at the General Hospital of Alicante under police custody. After the delivery, she was transferred to the mother-child unit at Fontcalent prison, where she can stay with her baby until the child turns three years old. The baby's father is David, a prisoner convicted of a 2008 murder. Maje and David met during her previous time at Picassent prison, where they began a relationship. The nickname 'Black Widow of Patraix' was given to Maje due to the nature of the crime: she allegedly manipulated her lover into murdering her husband, luring him into a carefully planned trap. The name refers to the black widow spider, whose female is known for killing the male after mating — a metaphor that underscores the cold and calculated betrayal at the heart of the case.
