Steamy thriller drama series always find an audience on Netflix or any other OTT platform for that matter. Films or shows under this genre are usually no-brainers, and one is expected to enjoy the twists and turns and not really search for logical explanations. The sensual visuals are the only common element in all films of the genre, while the thrill/drama changes according to the plots. In recent times, Netflix’s Colombian thriller drama series Fake Profile is an example, along with the more popular ones such as Mea Culpa and the 365 Days franchise. These shows might not be highly rated by critics, but their popularity makes it quite evident that audiences love watching them. Some have a love-hate relationship with the genre; they know the films are usually crass, but they just cannot get enough of them! Romantic complications usually trigger the drama, and in the case of Netflix’s recent Colombian release, The Guest, that is pretty much the case.
Silvia and Lorenzo were desperate to make their marriage work in The Guest. They consulted a therapist and followed his advice to ensure that they didn’t have to go their separate ways. Now you know things are going to get steamy when the central character is a sex addict, not in the realistic tragic depiction sort of way, but the typical steamy drama kind. Lorenzo often found himself in the worst of situations because he didn’t know how to control his urges. So he lived with this constant regret and didn’t know how to cope with it. Silvia, on the other hand, struggled to meet Lorenzo’s sexual appetite. Whenever they got physically intimate, Lorenzo focused on satisfying his libido, and he never made sure if Silvia was satisfied as well. Although they had differences and they’d been through complicated situations, they had faith in their marriage. They loved each other and wanted to be together forever, but clearly it was not as simple.
Silvia and Lorenzo decided to spend time together as a family with their daughter, Isa, at their suburban estate. Lorenzo and Silvia hoped to get to know each other a little better, but things didn’t go as planned. A guest showed up unannounced, and she wanted to stay with the couple. Sonia, a woman Silvia met during a girls’ trip, begged her to let her stay for a week so that she could figure out a way to deal with her abusive husband. Lorenzo thought it was a little odd, but Silvia didn’t wish to turn down Sonia’s request. We soon discover that Sonia and Silvia had gotten sexually intimate during the trip, and that was primarily why she couldn’t ask Sonia to leave. Evidently, Sonia wasn’t a regular innocent guest; she had a sinister purpose, which involved tearing apart the family. The reason wasn’t clear at first, but it was quite obvious that the entire operation was personal for her. As the series unfolded, we gradually discover the reason why Sonia disrupted the lives of Lorenzo and his family members.
As a soap-opera drama thriller, 20 episodes makes sense, but considering it’s on Netflix and it caters to the binge-watching crowd, the duration is the show’s biggest drawback. Perhaps dividing it into two seasons would’ve helped their case. Given the vast variety of options one has on Netflix, choosing a show with 20 episodes in the very first season might be interpreted as a huge commitment. As a result of its duration, the story is stretched far too long, and the predictable ending doesn’t really help the case. One can pretty much guess what could’ve been the reason behind Sonia’s obsession with Lorenzo. Although the revelation about Libardo and Sonia’s friendship was an interesting twist. The duration helped in setting the stage for the constant twists and turns, but the pacing had to be a lot better for it to work.
When it comes to the characters, they are extremely clichéd. You already know what to expect from a sex addict protagonist; you can also guess the very obvious situation that Sonia and Silvia’s past is going to result in. Their daughter Isa, as the lonely teenager, also has a very predictable arc. She does everything that her parents beg her not to, then she gets into trouble and does things that mess up the situation all the more, and she once again starts hating herself. I guess every other show on Netflix with a teenager character has a very similar character arc, and it’s somewhat frustrating. Sonia’s evil motive was clear from the start, but with time the layers were peeled and her secrets were revealed. Now whatever secrets we discovered were expected given Sonia’s trajectory on the show. So, you’re not really surprised; the revelations act as confirmations to guesses that you perhaps have already made.
Every subplot explored on the show is unoriginal, hinting at the show’s lack of creativity. The family dynamics, the manipulative intern, the questionable opponent, and even Sonia’s backstory—all of it is overdone by now. Considering the ‘no-brainer’ angle, predictable subplots are somewhat expected, but then again, one can also hope for a bit more spice and a whole lot more drama. If you’re aiming to make a steamy thriller drama, then just go ahead and make a great one; no one expects logic, and as long as it’s entertaining, it will work. But The Guest doesn’t really stand out because it restrains itself from being one of the raunchiest shows on Netflix. It’s not a decent thriller drama, but that could’ve been overlooked had it lived up to the steamy bit, but the show doesn’t take that route either. The thrill could’ve taken a horrific turn and delivered something quite scary and bold, but the show chooses to be stereotypical, and even with twenty episodes, each spanning between forty and fifty minutes, The Guest fails to deliver anything remarkable.
If you’re someone who enjoys clichéd melodramatic shows and doesn’t mind twenty episodes, then maybe you’ll appreciate The Guest way more than I can do. But for those searching for a steamy thriller, there are way better options available. With an open-ended final episode, the series leaves room for an upcoming season, and for that to work, the creators have to take a bolder, braver approach to really stand out amidst the thousands of shows on Netflix.
