Fernando Valdivielso
Richi
Overview
After the death of her husband, a grieving widow and a tormented ex-cop investigate a series of murders apparently related to the Universal Expo held in Seville in 1992.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 6 episodes
- First aired
- Dec 13, 2024
Cast
10 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Rooster That Wouldn’t Stop Screaming
I kept waiting for 1992 to commit—to the gore, to the satire, to the grief. Instead, it wobbles like a drunk at last call, lurching between a police procedural, a slasher flick, and a darkly comic fable about Spain’s rotten underbelly. The only constant is Curro, the 1992 Seville Expo’s cartoon rooster mascot, who has been repurposed as a serial killer’s calling card.
His cheerful, beady eyes stare out from crime scenes, a grinning relic of a time when Spain was selling itself as modern and shiny. The killer, his face a melted waxwork of burn scars, leaves Curro figurines at each murder like a grotesque breadcrumb trail. It’s the kind of image that should haunt you.
Instead, it just feels like the show can’t decide whether it’s making a point or a joke.
Álex de la Iglesia and Jorge Guerricaechevarría, the creators behind this six-episode Netflix miniseries, have built careers on walking that tonal tightrope. De la Iglesia’s films—The Day of the Beast, The Last Circus—are known for their blend of horror, dark humor, and social commentary, often with a comic-book edge. Here, that sensibility translates into a series that wants to be both a gritty thriller and a satire of Spain’s political and cultural hypocrisy.
The problem is that the two impulses don’t so much dance as trip over each other. One minute, you’re watching a grieving widow (Marian Álvarez) and a disgraced ex-cop (Fernando Valdivielso) stumble through a murder investigation; the next, the killer is monologuing like a Spanish Freddy Krueger, his burned face looming in the shadows. It’s as if True Detective and Scooby-Doo got drunk together and woke up with a hangover.
The flashbacks to the 1992 Expo are where the series comes closest to finding its footing. The Expo was a moment of national pride, a chance for Spain to show the world it had moved past Franco and into the future. The reality, as 1992 suggests, was messier.
The show’s present-day murders are tied to a cover-up from that era, one that involves corruption, embezzlement, and a body count that keeps climbing. The flashbacks are shot with a gauzy, nostalgic glow, all bright colors and bustling crowds, but the dialogue drips with cynicism. In one scene, a politician gives a speech about Spain’s bright future while his aides whisper about missing funds.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.2/10
"A gripping Spanish thriller with a compelling mystery but uneven pacing and underdeveloped side characters."
The series hooks viewers with its intriguing premise—a present-day murder linked to the 1992 World’s Fair—backed by strong performances from Marian Álvarez and Fernando Valdivielso. However, some find the plot’s twists predictable, and the supporting cast often feels overshadowed by the leads. latestnetflix.com's view is that the atmospheric tension keeps the story engaging, though the pacing occasionally drags in later episodes.
What viewers praise
- Strong lead performances Marian Álvarez and Fernando Valdivielso deliver compelling portrayals, driving the emotional core of the mystery.
- Intriguing premise The dual-timeline mystery, tying 2024 events to 1992, offers a fresh and engaging hook.
- Atmospheric tension The series effectively builds suspense, particularly in its darker, more intense scenes.
Common complaints
- Predictable twists Some viewers felt the plot’s revelations were telegraphed too early, reducing surprise.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting roles, including key figures, often lack depth, making them feel like afterthoughts.
- Uneven pacing The middle episodes slow down, testing patience before the finale regains momentum.
Recommended for
Spanish thriller fans Mystery lovers Dual-timeline story enthusiasts Marian Álvarez admirers Crime drama buffs
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsA warehouse of rusted Curros, then a flamethrower in a mascot suit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZKbtONOI64
Alex de la Iglesia has said the spark for 1992 was a photograph. Years after Seville's Expo, he saw a stockpile of Curro figures on Twitter, oxidized and dusty, and decided the country's favorite Expo mascot belonged in a murder plot. Netflix Spain dropped the official trailer on 15 November 2024. latestnetflix.com's view is that a killer linked to Expo 92 burns victims alive and leaves the birdlike souvenir behind.The six-episode run landed on 13 December. 
, ,
This is not the Italian political series of the same name, and it is not the 2024 American film. It is de la Iglesia's first Netflix miniseries, created with his longtime writing partner Jorge Guerricaechevarria, produced by their company Pokeepsie Films, with Carolina Bang as executive producer. Pablo Tebar and Jorge Valdano Saenz wrote. Shooting started in June 2023 in Seville and Madrid. Netflix had announced the project that April. First stills and the 13 December date went out on 31 October 2024. ,
The plot the trades actually published is grim and specific. After her husband dies in a strange explosion, Amparo, played by Marian Alvarez, hunts for answers with Richi, a security guard, former cop, and alcoholic played by Fernando Valdivielso. Bodies keep turning up burned. Next to them sits a doll of Curro, the Expo 92 mascot. Paz Vega plays Carmen. Carlos Santos is Fernando Victoria. Alex Gadea is the dead husband Alvaro. Victor Rivas is billed as the hooded killer. The first episode is titled "Do you remember Curro?" The last is "I did what I was asked." ,
De la Iglesia has been unusually open about the real Expo accidents he folded into the fiction. In a verTele interview he recalled the 1991 sinking of the Nao Victoria replica during a promotional launch, with someone in a Curro costume among those pulled from the water, and the fire at the Pavilion of Discoveries weeks before the Expo opened. He said he used to think "it cannot be a coincidence. There is someone behind who wants to sink the Expo." He also boxed that instinct into the show. In real life, he said, he is a rationalist. The series is the conspiracy version.
The other rumor he keeps feeding is a sequel. Asked about Barcelona's 1992 Olympics, he laughed and said that if they make a second part, "get ready for 1992 Barcelona," with Cobi, the Olympic mascot, as the obvious next monster. That is a tease, not a Netflix pickup. No second season has been dated. He has also said Cartuja today is too polished for the gothic ruin he wanted, so the production had to fake a decayed fairground around a site that now hosts tech firms. ,
Valdivielso was not the first name in the director's head. De la Iglesia told verTele he already wanted Alvarez, then found Valdivielso through Netflix casting and remembered him from Venus, a Jaume Balaguero film Pokeepsie had produced. The pairing is the show's actual hook. A widow who looks small and then will not stop, and a washed-out guard who still knows how to work a crime. Spanish papers framed it as Expo nostalgia with a flamethrower. The trailer sells fire, masks, and a Friday the 13th drop. , ,
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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