The new Netflix series "I'm Not Afraid" uses the vibrant atmosphere of the 1986 World Cup, hosted by Mexico, as a backdrop for a darker narrative unfolding in a struggling village in Veracruz. The story centers on ten-year-old Miguel (Aldo Emiliano Navarro) and his discovery that the adults in his community harbor disturbing secrets.
Maya's village, once prosperous due to its yearly coffee harvest, has been in decline for five years after a blight from Colombia devastated the crops. This economic hardship has led to the disappearance of workers and their families. Miguel's own life is disrupted when his friend Chuy and Chuy's family vanish overnight.
Convinced that something is amiss, Miguel, along with his sister Maria (Regina Arroyo) and friend Chava (Ian Andrade), embarks on an investigation. Their search leads them to a dilapidated house, rumored to be inhabited by a witch. There, they encounter Calavera (Maura Guzman), a local bully, who dares Miguel to retrieve a soccer ball from the woods. This dare leads Miguel to stumble upon a hidden hole, where he discovers a boy, Felipe (Yago Andreu), chained by the ankle.
The series, based on the novel by Niccolò Ammaniti, draws comparisons to "Stranger Things" but grounds its sinister elements in human behavior. Flashbacks reveal the village's past prosperity before the coffee blight, suggesting that desperation has driven the remaining inhabitants to extreme measures.
Miguel's character is portrayed as unafraid, both of bullies and of the supernatural tales that permeate his village. His courage is tested as he seeks to understand Felipe's predicament and the circumstances that led to his captivity. The narrative is expected to explore how the remaining children, including Calavera, might band together to uncover the truth, even as the adults grapple with survival and the ongoing disappearances.
Aldo Emiliano Navarro's performance as Miguel highlights the character's steely determination. Luis Alberti, who plays Pino, Miguel's father, is presented as a dreamer, potentially one of the few adults not involved in the village's morally compromised actions. The series' use of the 1986 World Cup as a motif is noted as an interesting choice that could add depth to the storytelling.
"I'm Not Afraid" promises a coming-of-age story where children confront the unsettling reality that the adults in their lives are not what they seem.