Netflix tip: El jardinero is the new Spanish hit for thriller fans

Anyone who thinks that ‘The Gardener’ is a calm nature documentary is mistaken; ‘El jardinero’, as the series is called in Spanish, is Netflix's latest thriller hit, and this is anything but a calm story. Hitman Elmer executes one assignment after another without any emotion; but when his next target hits a weak spot, his work suddenly becomes a lot more difficult.

El jardinero: an emotionless killer

Elmer (Álvaro Rico) runs a garden center together with his mother La China Jurado (Cecilia Suárez). Well, that's what their surroundings think. In reality, it is a secret but successful hitman business. For Elmer, this work is no problem; after he had a car accident at the age of six, he feels no emotions anymore due to brain damage. His mother takes full advantage of that ‘gift’ and has her son do all the chores. But just when the biggest assignment so far comes in, something changes in Elmer. As he delves into his next victim, he suddenly seems to regain feeling. And these are not just any emotions: he falls in love with his target. As he learns to deal with his feelings again, he tries to get out of his assignment. His mother absolutely disagrees; she does everything she can to make the plan succeed.

The cast of El jardinero: these actors you know from other Netflix series

‘El jardinero’ may not have a large cast, but that certainly does not diminish the quality. All three main actors are also no strangers to Netflix. We previously saw Álvaro Rico as Polo Benavent in the drama series ‘Élite’, one of our Spanish favorites. In this series, he formed a love triangle with Carla and Christian; just a slightly different setting than his latest role, but with the theme of complicated love, Rico was already familiar. Catalina Sopelana, who takes on the role of Elmer's target Violetta, joined the cast of ‘Sky Rojo’, the drama series from the creators of ‘La casa de papel’ and ‘Vis a Vis’, in the third season. Cecilia Suárez has also walked the halls of Netflix before; she did so in the dark comedy ‘La Casa de las Flores’ (The House of Flowers). The three actors now combine their strengths, and that seems to work well. ‘El jardinero’ is currently the most-watched non-English language series worldwide.

The beautiful Spanish filming locations of El jardinero

An extra advantage of a Spanish series: those beautiful locations that give you a bit of a vacation feeling. The creators of ‘El jardinero’ traveled for their series, among other places, to the heart of Spain and filmed various scenes in Madrid and Toledo. This gave them the chance to combine the modern city with a lot of nature. Although most outdoor scenes were filmed in Pontevedra, a city in the north of the country. Here, the creators sought the most beautiful gardens, orchards, and vineyards. All to portray the ‘garden center’ and Elmer's love for plants as well as possible. It not only makes the story a bit more believable, but planning a trip to Spain suddenly becomes very attractive again.

Will there be a second season of El jardinero on Netflix?

With six episodes, ‘El jardinero’ officially falls under the miniseries category, and they often stick to just one season. The story is designed in such a way that everything can be told in those few episodes. Still, viewers of this series are not so sure about a definitive ending. Without really giving anything away: the last episode has quite a few open endings and many questions remain unanswered. Enough to think that the story could just pick up again. Netflix has not announced anything yet, but the success of the series might work in our favor. Just wait and see.

More Spanish Netflix series to watch now

While we wait for news about a possible sequel, there are still plenty of other Spanish series on Netflix to fill the time. Of course, you can watch the earlier titles of the main actors from ‘El jardinero’ and (once again) dive into ‘Élite’, ‘Sky Rojo’ or ‘La Casa de las Flores’, but there are many more gems to add to your watchlist. The following titles should definitely not be missed:

· El inocente (The Innocent)
After a man accidentally gets involved in a murder, his life is turned upside down. Just when he has managed to rebuild everything, one phone call brings him back into a nightmare.

· La Chica de Nieve (The Snow Girl)
When a young girl goes missing in Málaga, a journalist decides to dig into the case. She does everything she can to give the family answers, but that proves to be not so easy.

· El cuerpo en llamas (Burning Body)
After the murder of a police officer, all attention turns to his girlfriend and her lover. What do they have to do with his death? Based on a true story, so extra thrilling.

· El caso Asunta’ (‘The Asunta Case’)
Another true case. When the daughter of Rosario and Alfonso goes missing, they call in the police. But the investigation quickly turns against the parents.

· Un cuento perfecto (A Perfect Story)
Something a bit lighter than all the thrilling crime thrillers? ‘A Perfect Story’ is the ideal romantic comedy. Margot and David come from two totally different worlds, but discover that they can help each other find true love again. Spain and romance, what more could you want?

Image: Netflix