Amazon's eight-part adaptation of Isabel Allende's novel 'The House of the Spirits' attempts to be more faithful than the 1993 film, but ultimately feels old-fashioned and naive. The series, filmed in Spanish in Chile and executive produced by Eva Longoria, follows three generations of women in a family saga that culminates in a fictionalised account of the 1973 Chilean coup.
The story centres on Clara del Valle, a girl with psychic powers, her daughter Blanca, and granddaughter Alba. Their lives are dominated by Esteban Trueba, a wealthy landowner who embodies rightwing Latin American politics. Esteban is a serial rapist and domestic abuser, and his actions have devastating consequences that echo through the generations.
The series makes a significant change to the narrative near the end, offering more redemption for Esteban than the book did. However, the fantasy elements—prophesies, destiny, and tarot cards—undermine the drama. Major events feel predetermined rather than arising organically from human choices.
When the military coup unfolds, the violence is unsparingly depicted. Esteban's support for the coup backfires when it brings savagery that horrifies him. Yet the involvement of a specific figure from his past in Alba's punishment feels too neat, almost absolving the actual perpetrators. Alba's instant, irreversible love for a revolutionary leader mirrors her mother and grandmother's romantic entanglements, reinforcing the sense of fate.
