If you'd like to be surprised by the Unknown Origins film, I don't recommend you to watch the trailer at all, because it provides a summary of the film.
Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins, movie (2020) - Watch the trailer on YouTube
Watch the trailer in Spanish
video © Nadie es Perfecto & Orígenes secretos & La Chica de la Curva & In Post We Trust
The Unknown Origins (2020) is a crime investigation thriller film. The movie was reviewed by Kadmon.
Product: Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
Original title: Orígenes secretos (English: Secret Origins), English title: Unknown Origins
Series: -
Setting: contemporary alternate / fantasy Earth
Product type: Film, Genre: crime investigation thriller, Style: crime investigation, thriller, action, comedy
Release: 2020.08.28
Reviewer: Kadmon, Type: Male, 40s, Preferences: Immersive, logical story, consistent setting, prefers surprises to spoilers, prefers establishing elements before referencing them
Watched: very recent (2021.01), first time
Rating: Average (2 out of 3 points), Enjoyment: Weak (2- out of 3 points)
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This is my review of Unknown Origins, a crime investigation thriller movie from 2020. It's about about police detectives trying to find a serial killer. The Unknown Origins film is watchable, but I only recommend it to dedicated fans of the genre.
Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
image © Nadie es Perfecto & Orígenes secretos & La Chica de la Curva & In Post We Trust
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Review (spoiler-free) - Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
I don't remember if I've heard about the movie, or I just randomly ran into it without a recommendation. The premise probably sounded interesting, so I gave it a try without watching the trailer.
The Unknown Origins movie is about police detectives trying to find a serial killer.
The film is based on a novel by David Galán Galindo. It has interesting concepts, and has some interesting twists, but overall, I felt it was unsatisfying. However, I think there was enough good ideas in this film that a rewrite of it could make a good story.
The English title doesn't really convey the meaning of the original - secret origins - referring to the creation of a particular super-hero.
The concept of the story might be okay, but the execution was a little strange, and the genre - contemporary fantasy - was not really clear in the beginning, I though I'm watching a regular crime story, set in the real world. The pacing is consistent. There's a character arc for the main character. There are some logical problems, even if you disregard the faults that can be justified with a fantasy setting.
The cinematography is okay. They tried to use visually distinct sets. The special effects are acceptable.
The characters are okay, we get to know some information about the protagonists. Although, I have to admit the chosen personality for the female police chief feels like it would clash with her chosen profession. The actors are okay. They are a bit wooden, but they fit the characters.
The music (by Frederick Jusid) is okay.
Unknown Origins is a watchable crime investigation thriller, that I think only dedicated fans of the genre could enjoy.
My experience
I was not satisfied with Unknown Origins (2020). I prefer stories with well-thought, logical plots, and Unknown Origins was anything but that.
Rating: Average (2 out of 3 points). Unknown Origins is a watchable, but mediocre film.
Enjoyment: Weak (2- out of 3 points). Unknown Origins had too many faults of logic for me.
Rewatchability: Average. I think it's mostly the surprise of the story that makes you feel interested, but if you get attached to the style and the characters, you might like to watch it multiple times.
Chance of watching it again: Nope. Once was enough.
Chance of watching a sequel: Probably.
Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
image © Nadie es Perfecto & Orígenes secretos & La Chica de la Curva & In Post We Trust
Will you enjoy this?
If you like mystery or thriller movies, you might like Unknown Origins.
If you like criminal investigation movies, you might like the Unknown Origins film.
If you like Marvel Comics, there are plenty of references to their work in the Unknown Origins movie.
If you like super-hero or vigilante stories (Super, Kick-Ass), you might like Unknown Origins, although the focus is not really on the heroic deeds.
If you don't mind illogical elements in your movies, you can enjoy this.
If you hate subtitles, don't worry, the movie is already available with English audio dub.
If you prefer visuals over story, you should probably avoid this movie, although there are a couple of good scenes.
Do you need to read the original novel to enjoy this?
I didn't read the novel, but there are enough explanations that you'll understand what's going on.
Watching for plot points
If you are interested in criminal investigation or vigilante stories, it might be worth watching the Unknown Origins movie for the plot points, although reading the summary is probably enough.
Should you watch this on your own screen at home, or is it worth going to the cinema?
The visuals would probably look better if you watched it in cinema. It hasn't been released in cinemas yet, though.
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Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
image © Nadie es Perfecto & Orígenes secretos & La Chica de la Curva & In Post We Trust
Review with spoilers - Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
I didn't really like the Unknown Origins movie.
Cover
The cover of the movie is okay, it doesn't say much, but it doesn't spoil the movie.
The trailer
The trailer is basically a substitute for watching the movie.
If you prefer spoilers, it's a great trailer for the Unknown Origins film. If you prefer to avoid spoilers, it will ruin the movie for you.
Promise of the first scene
A policeman helps in the evacuation of a building during a fire. He is lost in the process. I assume he'll come back, probably as some kind of vigilante? Like Dark Man? Or something like that.
Execution: No we didn't get anything like that. The whole thing was only partially related to the story.
Plot summary / Synopsis
We see a policeman (Javier) dying in a fire.
Later, we see a police inspector (Javier Rey as Inspector David Valentín) investigating a murder case with his old partner (Antonio Resines as Cosme), who is about to retire. Their boss is a female police chief (Verónica Echegui as Norma). The victim is a body builder, with gray skin. It turns out that the guy was reported missing a year ago. He was a scientist, with a skinny physique. The coroner (Ernesto Alterio as Bruguera) finds it out that the gray colour is caused by pigments, injected into his skin. They find a piece of paper from the cover of a comic book, that happens to be the origin story of the Hulk.
The son of the old partner is a nerd guy (Brays Efe as Jorge Elias), who runs a comic book store. It turns out that the policeman who died in the fire was the other son of the old partner.
The police inspector is called to another murder case. The victim is an weapons trader, who was put in a suit of iron armour, had his heart removed, and had a machine inserted into his body to pump his blood.
When they realise the killer is using comic book superheroes as an inspiration for the murders, they call in the nerd guy as an advisor. The nerd guy finds a fire axe that doesn't belong to the movie replica weapon collection. The nerd guy recommends some comics for the inspector to read.
The fingerprints on the fire axe belong to an ex-fireman, who started fires, killing people. When they get to his apartment, he is trapped in a glass tube, burning alive.
The inspector tells the nerd guy that his parents were murdered in an alley, in 1989, when he was 8 years old. As the nerd guy urges him, they go through the evidence of the case of his parents. They find a piece of paper, from the cover of the first story about the Batman.
They realise that the killer has to be really rich, to be able to afford all these equipment he used in the murders, and also, to be able to buy the rare original edition comics, used as the planted evidence. They find it out who is the rich collector who had those issues. When the inspector gets there, the killer uses hallucinogenic gas against him. The killer calls himself Doctor Nóvaro. He starts to beat the inspector, but when the female police chief arrives, the killer escapes.
During the autopsy of the victim, it turns out that he was poisoned by Polonium, and he was kept in preserving fluid since 4-5 years. They have to report this to internal affairs, as some years ago some radioactive material was lost at the police.
The inspector suddenly kisses the female police chief.
The next victim hangs from a rope, bitten by a spider.
They are having a cosplay party at the comic book store, with the inspector also invited.
Somebody knocks out the old partner, and abducts him.
The killer calls the inspector at the cosplay party, telling him that he poisoned their drinks with radioactive material. The cosplayers start to fall unconscious. The find an X stuck on the bowl they used for the drink. The killer tells the inspector that he is going to poison the water reservoir of the city, unless the inspector shows up, but not as a policeman, but a superhero.
They dress the inspector up in the old police armour of the brother of the nerd guy, and some superhero suit parts they have made. His friends give the inspector the superhero name of "Apex". He goes to meet the killer.
It turns out it's the coroner, who had enough of seeing guilty people getting out free, and he wanted to create a vigilante like those in the comic books, and he hopes that the inspector will be the one. The coroner injects himself with acid that dissolves his face. He confesses to the old partner that he didn't kill the parents of the inspector, he just planted evidence, as he found him such a perfect match for his plans.
When the inspector arrives, the coroner kills his old partner, to enrage him. They start to fight, and the coroner falls into a vat of acid.
The inspector finds a secret lair, perfect for doing vigilante work.
After the credits, the vigilante visits the comics guru, and in exchange for letting him go for his shady comics business, he demands some old comic book.
The setting
It is probably set on a contemporary fantasy Earth, that looks very close to our own reality, but the rules of physics are slightly off.
Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
image © Nadie es Perfecto & Orígenes secretos & La Chica de la Curva & In Post We Trust
The message of the story
I'm not sure there's one. "Even the good people die"? "Life is unjust"?
The structure of the story
The scenes of the Unknown Origins film are played sequentially, following the same storyline. Past events are told by the characters.
There is no single viewpoint character.
It has the usual arc of the dramatic structure - introduction, action, resolution. It ends with a hint of potential sequel.
Fan-service
There are some references to super-heroes and graphic novels.
Marvel Comics
- Hulk: The first victim. He was a skinny scientist, who turned into a gray muscled guy.
- Willie Lumpkin: The postman, who looks like Stan Lee.
- Iron Man: The second victim. A weapons trader, in an iron suit, with a machine acting as his heart.
- Ms. Marvel: The second cosplay suit of the female chief.
- Mention of Doctor Strange, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Days of Future Past, Charles Xavier
- Captain America: A sculpture is seen.
- The original Human Torch: The third victim. He starts burning when in contact with Oxygen.
- X-Man?: The fourth victim, poisoned by radioactivity.
- Spider-Man: The fifth victim, bitten by a spider.
- Heimdall: Cosplayer seen.
- Green Goblin: Cosplayer seen.
- The X-Men: The sixth+ victims, poisoned by radioactivity.
Anime
- Sailor Moon: The first cosplay suit of the female chief.
- Team Rocket (Pokémon): Cosplayers seen.
- Mention of Gantz, Berserk, Naruto
DC Comics
- Superman: The nerd guy wears a Superman logo with a Z instead of an S. In this setting, he is called Zinco, and he was invented by Roy Simon and Joe Thomas.
- Superman vs. Muhammad Ali: There's a comic book "Neil O'Neil vs Zinco" with a similar cover.
- Mention of Doctor Fate, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Joe Chill
- Green Arrow: Cosplayer seen.
- Joker: Mentioned that he was played by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger.
- Batman: There are many references.
- A TV series is shown. In this setting, he is called Gras Man
- The origins of Batman is the childhood of the inspector.
- The inspector's parents were killed in 1989, when the Batman (1989) movie was released.
- Batman theme song from the old TV series.
- The antagonist falls into a vat of acid.
- The control room looks like the Batcave.
Masters of the Universe
- "I have the power!" when nerd guy gets the taser.
Harry Potter
- Mention of Gryffindor, Slytherine, Ravenclaw.
- Mention of Dumbledore, Grindlewald, Luna Lovegood.
Conan the Barbarian movie
- Conan's sword is displayed.
Kill Bill movie
- The katanas from the Kill Bill movie are displayed.
Game of Thrones TV series
- Ice, Ned Stark's sword is displayed.
- The Longclaw sword is displayed.
- "Valar morhulis" and "Dracarys" is said.
- George R. R. Martin is mentioned.
Highlander movie
- Conner MacLeod's sword is displayed.
Lord of the Rings movie
- The Sting sword is displayed.
- Legolas' swords are displayed.
- Gimli's axe is displayed.
- The Anduril sword is displayed.
The Gladiator
- The helmet of Maximus is displayed.
World of Warcraft
- An orc statue is seen.
Alan Moore
- A poster is shown of him
- The character of The Mask is based on him.
Chaos Comics
- Purgatory: The Mask probably wears a Purgatory T-shirt.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Professor Jones cosplay
The Incredibles
- Edna Mode is mentioned
Mad Max: Fury Road
- Imperator Furiosa mentioned
Other references
- Comics seen: Thorgal, probably Fanhunter
- Games mentioned or seen: Labyrinth Lord RPG, Magic the Gathering, Warhammer
- The Cat Monster image by Deka Sepdian Gumilar
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Things I liked
- It was a nice touch that the villain put the extra evidence into the files of the murder of the protagonists parents just a couple of weeks earlier, to indicate a connection.
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How does it compare to the other works of the creators?
I haven't seen any other works of the writer / director (David Galán Galindo).
From the other script writer (Fernando Navarro), I haven't seen anything else.
How does it compare to the original source?
I didn't read the novel, so I can't tell.
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Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
image © Nadie es Perfecto & Orígenes secretos & La Chica de la Curva & In Post We Trust
Analysis of the story - Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
I liked the basics of the story, but I've found so many problems that prevented me from enjoying Unknown Origins.
Problematic elements
The police chief: I didn't like the inclusion of the female police chief. She didn't really contribute to the plot, and her attitude was irritating, especially the way she handled police procedure. Also, the way she handled co-workers didn't make her a good candidate for a leader. Then the romance between her and the main protagonist was superfluous.
The nerd guy: It was his depiction as the "comic book fan" that I didn't like. Sure, nerds do belch and fart, and their behaviour might look hard to tolerate to outsiders, but we do all of these in our own circles. I'm pretty sure that he had to learn how to act like a proper human when he is near others. The way the nerd guy was played was so irritating, I didn't wonder why he was beaten up in school.
The master plan: The plan of the antagonist didn't make sense, and that is more of a problem.
- He wants to make a vigilante that will take vengeance on criminals. He looks like an intelligent person. Why does he start a crime spree, spending millions on theatrics, just to create scenes from comic books? He could just hide or falsify evidence, put more evidence at crime scenes that would point towards criminals he wants to get rid of.
- Why does he want to use the protagonist? There's nothing that would indicate that he'll be useful to his plans. On the contrary, it seems like he behaves well enough, and he won't go on a revenge against the murderer of his parents. The antagonist should know he cops in his department, and he could choose the best candidate among them.
- He states that his victims were all criminals, who committed crime, or were preparing to commit it. What about the retired detective? And the comic book fans he poisoned? What was their crime?
- Dissolving his own face with acid? Seriously?
Clues: There was one scene with planted evidence that lead to the next clue. This is a thing I liked, but it was only used once, then it was forgotten. The police could have revisited the previous scene of crime, to find more clues like that. And they should have tried the same thing on the next crime scene. But they just forgot about it.
- In the Lord of the Rings display, besides the fire axe, there was also the Longclaw, that's a weapon from the Game of Thrones TV series.
The cloak: Wearing a cloak is stupid, it hinders movement, gets tangled, it can be grabbed. The protagonist should be well aware of this.
The last scene: It was both interesting and laughably stupid. The idea is great - the antagonist prepares the secret hideout for the vigilante -, but the way he secretly created such a thing under the mansion adds to the unnecessary millions spent on theatrics.
The secret lair: The antagonist could have created a secret lair in the centre of the city, so the vigilante needn't spend his time to reach the city. Also, he could have organised a group of people to support the vigilante. To be able to work, he'll need a lot of help, otherwise he won't be useful to the populace, or he'll be soon caught by the police.
Unanswered questions
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Possibilities of improvement
How it could have been better?
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Behind the scenes
Thoughts about the reviews of others
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Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
image © Nadie es Perfecto & Orígenes secretos & La Chica de la Curva & In Post We Trust
Uses for the film - Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
Plot
- There's a vigilante, who kills criminals.
- The police tries to catch a vigilante, who kills criminals.
- The vigilante wants to create his successor in hunting criminals.
Scenes
Designs
Scenario ideas - Role-playing game scenario ideas
Scenario ideas - Wargame scenario ideas
Poisoned! v1: The fighting forces have been poisoned. Roll a d6 at the beginning of every turn. Choose that many models from your army. Remove those models from play.
Different results: Roll a d6 separately for each playing force.
Slow poison: At the beginning of the turn, put a Poisoned marker on the model, but don't remove them. At the end of the turn, remove every models with the Poisoned marker.
Poisoned! v2: One of the fighting forces is allowed the opportunity to spend Army points on poisoning the members of the other force. Decide on an Army point number for every level of poison, up to level 5. Before the game begins, roll a d6 for every squad or every model in the poisoned force. If the roll is lower or equal to the poison level, the model is poisoned. Put a Poisoned marker on the model. At the beginning of every turn, roll a d6 for every Poisoned model. On a roll of 6, remove the model from play.
Slow poison: If you roll a 6, put a Dying marker on the model, but don't remove them. At the end of the turn, remove every models with the Dying marker.
Miniatures - 1/50-1/60 (28-32mm scale)
Civilians: Human-sized modern civilians.
Police officers: Human-sized modern police officers.
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Similar stories - Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
Novels
David Galán Galindo: Orígenes secretos (English: Secret Origins) (1982): A serial killer wants to establish a vigilante to get rid of crime in the city. The basis of this movie.
Movies
Seven (1995): A serial killer is killing his victims based on their sins.
Unbreakable (2000): A genius villain wants to establish a hero so he could act as his nemesis.
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Frequently asked questions - Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
Will the Unknown Origins movie be available with English audio dub?
Unknown Origins is already available with English audio dub.
Is the Unknown Origins film based on a book or comics?
Yes, Unknown Origins is based on the novel of same title by David Galán Galindo.
Is the Unknown Origins film a remake or reboot?
No, the Unknown Origins film is neither a remake nor a reboot.
Is there a post credit scene in Unknown Origins? Does Unknown Origins have end credit scenes?
Yes, there's a post credit scene in Unknown Origins.
Where can I see Unknown Origins? Where can I watch Unknown Origins online? Is Unknown Origins available on Netflix? Is Unknown Origins on Amazon?
As of 2022.01.16, Unknown Origins is only available on Netflix.
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Resources - Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
Official
Nadie es Perfecto: Unknown Origins: Official article.
Netflix: Unknown Origins: Official article.
Information
IMDB: Orígenes secretos / Unknown Origins (2020): Database article.
WikiPedia: Unknown Origins: Database article.
Letterboxd: Unknown Origins 2020: Database article.
Rotten Tomatoes: Unknown Origins 2020: Database article.
Creation
: Concept art article.¤
https://nadieesperfecto.com/making-of-de-origenes-secretos/
Reviews with no spoilers - Unknown Origins film (2020)
: Review video about the Unknown Origins film with no spoilers.¤
Reviews with spoilers - Unknown Origins film (2020)
: Review article of the Unknown Origins movie, with spoilers. Includes a very detailed plot summary.¤
Analysis - Unknown Origins movie (2020)
: Analysis video, explaining the finale of Unknown Origins.¤
https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/listas/mejores-referencias-frikis-origenes-secretos-netflix-709543
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https://www.zendalibros.com/origenes-secretos-y-lo-imposible-del-superheroe-espanol/
https://elvalluno.com/origenes-secretos-estrenara-netflix/
https://areajugones.sport.es/cine/critica-de-origenes-secretos-la-nueva-pelicula-espanola-de-netflix/
https://www.espinof.com/criticas/origenes-secretos-pelicula-espanola-netflix-irregular-mezcla-protegido-seven-fanhunter
Novel:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29883794-or-genes-secretos
http://inthenevernever.blogspot.com/2020/08/origenes-secretos-de-david-galan-galindo.html
https://consuleoluegoexisto.com/2020/05/04/origenes-secretos-no-es-una-novela-policiaca/
https://www.amazon.com/Or%C3%ADgenes-secretos-Runas-Spanish-Galindo/dp/8491819029
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Buying the product - Unknown Origins, movie (2020)
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Have you seen the Unknown Origins film? How do you like the movie? Would you recommend it to others? Do you know reviews or resources you'd like to add? What further thoughts do you have about it? Tell your opinion in the comments!
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