What’s it called?

Green Frontier. Or, to give this topical, ecological-themed Colombian drama its Spanish title, Frontera Verde.

What’s it about?

Set deep in the Colombian jungle near the border with Brazil, Green Frontier follows the efforts of Bogota-based detective Helena Poveda to find out who – or what – killed a party of four female missionaries whose bodies were discovered with what look like arrow wounds. Teaming up with local officer Reynaldo Bueno (Nelson Camayo), a member of the local indigenous tribe, she soon discovers the body of a fifth woman, this time strung up and with her heart removed. Poveda is a classic genre type – brooding, troubled, drinks too much, maverick tendencies etc. – but what looks at first like a by-the-numbers foreign crime series reveals itself pretty quickly to be nothing of the sort, thanks to a constant whiff of the supernatural and the presence of Ushe and Yua, two apparently ageless members of a mysterious uncontacted tribe. Adding a final twist, Poveda’s own early life is very much bound up in the story.

Who’s in it?

Noted Colombian theatre actor Juana del Rio plays Helena Poveda, Ángela Cano is Ushe, Miguel Dionisio Ramos is Yua and the role of Reynaldo Bueno is taken by Nelson Camayo.

Best bits so far?

The lush cinematography, which puts the Amazon rainforest front and centre.

Where can I find it?

The series is available to stream on Netflix.

Fun fact …

The absorbing first episode was directed by Ciro Guerra, whose haunting 2015 feature Embrace Of The Serpent was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

For fans of ...

Mystery Road, The Killing