Epitafios: The Complete First Season

Epitafios, the first Spanish-language series presented on HBO, is a terrific show that boasts a nail-bitingly suspenseful premise, uncompromising scenes of terror, skillful performances by a charismatic cast, and production values that approach feature-film quality. Set and filmed in Buenos Aires, Epitafios begins five years after a school tragedy leaves four young students dead; now a serial killer is terrorizing the city, and all of his victims are related in some way to that terrible event. On the list are former policeman Renzo Marquez (Julio Chavez) and psychologist Laura Santini (Paola Krum), who team up in an attempt to find the killer, but the clock is ticking—their turns to die could come at any time. Some American viewers may no doubt find the subtitles distracting—especially over a long series—but it's worth the effort: Epitafios is every bit as viscerally exciting as the best cop shows appearing on U.S. television. Presenting all 13 of the 2004 first-season episodes on a five-disc set, DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)