When you encounter a show where all the characters’ lives intertwine, do you find it fascinating or a bit tedious? I admit, sometimes it can feel forced, making it tricky to keep track of everything. Yet, there are instances where this storytelling method really works, particularly in Spanish dramas like anger.
anger: Should you stream it or skip it?
Opening scene: A group of seven women is seen practicing yoga outside a large, modern home. The shaman leading the session discusses connections, yet the women find themselves in conflict.
Main characters: Marga (Carmen Matie), Nat (Candella Peña), Vera (Pillar Castro), Victoria (Cecilia Ross), Adela (Natalie Poza), Tina (Claudia Sara), and Rosa (Ana Trent) are all linked in various ways. Some connections, like the mother-daughter relationship of Adela and Tina, are particularly strong. The shaman suggests that if a woman reaches this stage, she’s likely ready to listen—she’s also probably feeling a lot of anger.
In a flashback, Tina and Marga appear to be enjoying breakfast in a home where Marga, a successful artist, practices yoga. The film director Roberto (Alberto San Juan) walks in, sharing affectionate words with Tina. They seem like a couple, but Tina eventually returns to her role as a maid, while Marga, rifle in hand, talks about her morning shoots. Although married to Marga, Roberto has been having an affair with Tina for quite some time.
Tina, bold enough to wear a robe featuring Marga’s image, informs Roberto of her pregnancy. He seems thrilled and promises to leave Marga once he sorts things out. However, it soon becomes clear that Tina is essentially a stand-in for the child that Roberto and Marga have long desired, planned to live separately after the birth. When Roberto finally leaves Marga, he intends for the child to live with him and Tina.
Understandably, Tina is hurt and angry about being used in this way, but the real fury ignites when Marga discovers Tina is already pregnant.
What does it remind you of? In some ways, anger, crafted by Félix Sabroso, bears a resemblance to 9 Perfect Strangers.
Our thoughts: In its eight episodes, anger explores the intertwining lives of these seven women, frequently revisiting these intersections to dive deeper into individual stories. While marketing focuses on the main five stars—Matie, Peña, Castro, Ross, and Poza—the series truly showcases all seven. This can sometimes feel confusing.
The narrative is somewhat anthology-like but consistently draws connections between characters. For instance, Nat faces a harsh dismissal from her long-time job as a fashion buyer, resulting in a destructive outburst shared with her colleague Rosa. Vera, a celebrity chef, is under pressure while launching a new food line. Adela finds herself booted from her apartment by Victoria, a former star from the ’70s looking to make a comeback.
While the connections among these women often feel organic, at times they seem contrived. It leaves one wondering if Sabroso is commenting on privilege, the pressure to succeed, or perhaps both. Not every character is as affluent as Marga, but they all seem connected to a certain level of privilege. It raises questions about whether the series satirizes women who attempt to “have it all,” especially evident in Bella’s subplot. Each episode might be critiquing something different, yet it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what.
Intimacy and nudity: There’s not much of that in the first two episodes.
Final scene: Each episode concludes with a silent, extended scene as the credits roll, featuring Marga and Roberto watching a pig dig in the garden.
Standout performance: Anna Trent as Rosa truly shines, especially during an explosive moment after their firings, which is entertaining to watch.
Most memorable line: Marga informs Vera that the man leading their yoga session was a kamikaze during World War II, to which Vera replies with confusion, “But he’s alive.” Marga’s only response? “I really don’t know.”
Our recommendation: Stream it. While the structure of anger can be dizzying at times, the cast’s performances and their complex relationships are compelling enough to keep you watching.
