Drawn Together (Enfrentados: Marfil), like Mercedes Ron’s Our Fault trilogy, is dramatic. There’s no sugarcoating that detail. If you don’t like how the series dabbles in high stakes alongside the romance, then this might not be the movie for you. But if you love stories involving bodyguards, it’s certainly one to try out, as this one might just be your cup of tea if step-siblings pushed boundaries you aren’t interested in.
Prime Video‘s romance content lately is delivering in ways nothing else on TV is, and it continues to be so enthralling how every piece of media gives us something to, well, obsess over. Fun, flirty, and unapologetically romantic, even as they differ from one another, it’s been one of the best seasons as a fan of the genre. And knowing this is just the beginning gives us so much to look forward to.
That said, Drawn Together (Enfrentados: Marfil) is riveting right off the bat and grips you with a protagonist who’s immediately fleshed out and easy to care about. Ester Expósito stands out as the titular character who’s clearly good at her craft but also seems to be someone who cares about others. So while the plot moves forward and grows darker with secrets looming over, the story makes the progression of her relationship with Hugo Diego Garcia’s Sebastian stunning.
This isn’t to say that it doesn’t push dramatic boundaries or get to a place that might be off-putting to some viewers, but it manages to be thoroughly entertaining throughout. As a movie that’s well over two hours, which is completely unexpected for this genre, I never once found myself bored or wishing for it to be shorter. And knowing that it’s part of a duology makes it even more exciting to know there’s more coming. This really should be proof to filmmakers out there that where romance is concerned, we’re always willing to get more screen time. If big blockbusters can clock in at three hours, our romantic dramas deserve that same kind of attention.
And in its screen time, the film delivers in spades, amping up the tension between Marfil and Sebastian to a boiling point until they finally give in to the emotions whirling inside them. Pair the bodyguard trope with a touch of forbidden romance and a prickly guy who can be soft at the center, and their love story is one worthy of investing in.
The performances are excellent, and more importantly, the chemistry sizzles. As dramatic as the narrative can get, there’s something about their relationship that easily grounds the narrative in a gorgeous manner and makes the entire plot around them believable. I won’t pretend to know anything about how certain beats within the plot work and whether they’re in any way accurate to how the scenarios would pan out in the real world, but it’s so easy not to care about those minute details when the love story is worth investing in.
There are few things I love more than angst woven into a fiery hot romance, and that’s exactly what we get with Drawn Together (Enfrentados: Marfil). The second installment is bound to be even more wild, and I’m already seated, waiting. This one’s certainly not a rom-com, so if you’re looking for lighter content, there’s a lot more darkness here. But still, it’s an entertaining time from start to finish.
Drawn Together (Enfrentados: Marfil) is now streaming on Prime Video.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Prime Video