“The Curved Lines of God” is available on Netflix. This dark thriller takes place in a psychiatric hospital, the description of which is at least faithful to reality since the author of the novel was hospitalized in a psychiatric establishment.
The Curved Lines of Goda thriller straight out of a bestselling novel
The Curved Lines of God is themovie adaptation of a Spanish best seller dating from 1979. The story depicts the Detective Alice Gould (Barbara Lennie), taking a close interest in a homicide case. For it, she infiltrates a psychiatric center, where the victim was interned. But little by little, doubt sets in: is she really who she claims to be?…
The eponymous book by Torcuato Luca de Tena was written based on the author’s committed research. In order to feed his fictional characters, the latter was hospitalized 18 days in a mental institution. Thanks to this, he was able to build his plot mixing police investigation and quest for identityissues that we find identically in the film.
Although the homicide case is a fantasy, the representation of the medical world and psychiatric disorders is therefore truly documented. The author also dedicates his novel to the medical profession, of which he says he admires:
The twisted lines of God are, indeed, very twisted. Exemplary, tenacious, even heroic men and women are trying to straighten it out. (…) The deep admiration I felt for their work during my voluntary stay in a psychiatric hospital increased the gratitude and respect I have always felt for the medical profession. This is why I dedicate these pages to doctors, nurses, guards, caregivers (…).
A new Spanish thriller on Netflix
The Curved Lines of God was first adapted in 1983 by Mexican director Tulio Demicheli. Today, the literary work is reborn thanks to Oriol Paulo, already known thanks to his two previous films: The Body in 2012 then The Accused in 2017. Having received the Goya Award for Best New Director in 2013, he became a leading figure in European thrillers. His new feature film, broadcast on Netflix and in Spanish cinemas, invites us to explore once again a recurring theme: the quest for truth.
It is once again a tormented character, destined for introspection, that the director decides to explore. In the same way as a Shutter Island or a more recent Paranoiathe stay in psychiatric hospital turns into prisonwhile the protagonist moves from the role of visitor to that of patient. The investigation of the environment is a facade masking the quest for oneself, and which here promises to be tumultuous…
The Curved Lines of God can be found on netflix from Friday December 9, 2022.
