Review: Hierro (12A)***

Nevertheless, if one can absorb the (rather well-telegraphed) clues and sometimes pointless moments of seeming dread which lead down dead ends and blind alleys, then there is much enjoyment to be had.

Elena Anaya is Maria, a young mother whose son Diego disappears during a ferry journey. She is convinced the boy was spirited away by a stranger in a caravan. Months later a child's body is discovered in the sea off the island of Hierro. Maria is requested to identify the corpse.

But she is adamant it is not Diego, forcing the authorities to order DNA samples to be taken from the body and Maria. The process will take three days, during which time Maria opts to stay in a hotel on the island.

Over the next 72 hours Maria's obsession with finding Diego reaches fever pitch. She criss-crosses the island, prying into people's homes and asking questions. What she eventually finds only adds to the creeping madness she has been fighting since the lad went missing. Director Gabe Ibez works well with a story by Jess de la Vega and Javier Gulln but relies too heavily on visuals, thus creating a beautifully realised but ultimately incoherent tale. It's neither chilling nor thrilling enough to build power and impact, yet it manages to create a portrait of an insular community where secrets are embraced.

Big on atmosphere, mood, imagery and boasting stand-out work from Anaya, Hierro is a try-hard drama that deserves to be seen.