*Spoilers*
“Through My Window: Looking at You,” the third and final installment of the “Through My Window” movie trilogy, follows the relationship between Raquel (Clara Galle) and Ares Hidalgo (Julio Peña) as they navigate the aftermath of Yoshi (Guillermo Lasheras), one of Raquel’s best friends’, death. Based on the novel originally published on Wattpad by author Ariana Godoy, this Spanish Netflix drama concludes Raquel and Ares’ exhausting and repetitive back-and-forth story. Released on Feb. 23, Director Marçal Forès attempts to create a touching drama and a steamy romance set against the backdrop of Spain’s nightlife and club culture but only succeeds in shallow conversations and underdeveloped plot lines.
The film starts with Raquel and Ares, post-breakup after an exchange of harsh words at Yoshi’s funeral in the previous movie, “Through My Window: Across the Sea.” Although Raquel is now in a relationship with her writer friend Gregory (Ivan Lapadula) and Ares is in a relationship with his medical school friend Vera (Andrea Chaparro), the two can’t seem to stop wanting each other, entering into a cycle of cheating, deceit and terrible communication. Raquel, facing questions about a new book, finds herself reconstructing the story between herself and Ares once again in search of a sequel. Ares, on the other hand, deals with the same parental pressure of upholding the Hidalgo family name and honor through his relationships and career pursuits. Just as Ares pushes back against familial expectations and chooses to be with Raquel, an accidentally-on-purpose drugging by Greg’s sister and Yoshi’s girlfriend before his passing, Anna (Carla Tous), sends both Raquel and Ares to the hospital. Eventually, the two get a happy ending, as Forès included a time jump to a future where Ares and Raquel are starting a new life together.
Although Forès gave other characters in this movie happy endings as well, there were significant holes in the story and several unanswered or poorly concluded plot lines that made the movie less than satisfying.
A glaring hole in the plot was apparent right from the start of this movie when it came to the relationship between the older Hidalgo brother, Artemis (Eric Masip), and the Hidalgo family maid, Claudia (Emilia Lazo). In “Through My Window: Across the Sea”, the two were involved in a toxic relationship with an undeniable power dynamic and problems with respect. However, in this movie, the two appear to be more in love than ever with Claudia’s pregnancy. Also, issues between the two in terms of money and family dynamics are briefly touched on but never fully addressed, leaving the audience wondering how and why the two ended up together.
Furthermore, Anna’s initial anger toward Raquel felt baseless, especially as she somehow blamed Raquel and Ares’ relationship for Yoshi’s death. While Anna’s grief is understandable, her drugging Raquel’s drink at the book publishing party felt unnecessary as there was nothing Anna would have accomplished. The drugging and overdose were simply used to recreate a plot line where the audience endures Ares’ chlorine allergy in live action once again. Perhaps Forès was attempting to create an interplay between the three movies with Ares being the hero but it falls short of creating this meaningful connection.
Spanish techno-pop, modern rock and funk music were used throughout this film to create the aura of romantic pining and teen partying. The exciting soundtrack, however, could not strengthen the character’s relationships or their acting. The funky music at the beginning of the film paints a picture of teen romance but fails to deliver this excitement as the movie progresses.
Additionally, in regards to the actors, Julio Peña’s acting specifically failed in delivering emotionally charged lines and his facial expressions didn’t match what was needed to receive the audience’s sympathy. A similar conclusion can be drawn about Clara Galle who does a mediocre job in portraying Raquel’s internal conflict.
The film felt rushed as it grasped for a logical ending for Raquel and Ares’s story. It seems that Forès believed a rugged beard and glasses for Ares and some blonde hair extensions for Raquel would be enough to appease viewers’ questions about misguided plotlines and forgotten arguments between the characters.
Verdict: “Through My Window: Looking at You” fails to provide an adequate romance worth rooting for while using convoluted plotlines to create unnecessary drama and toxicity within all relationships portrayed throughout the film.
