'Breathless' Reviews: Series "presents itself as a guilty pleasure for fans of hospital dramas, with enough intrigue and excitement to keep an audience hooked"

         On August 30, 2024, Netflix released 'Breathless', which has received a mixed reception from critic, currently holding at 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, "A passionate medical team is devoted to saving lives in a bustling public hospital where tensions — and romance -- keep their pulses racing." The ensemble cast includes Najwa Nimri, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Manu Rios, Borja Luna, Alfonso Bassave, and Bianca Suárez. But what did the critics say?

       Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut notes, "As reassuring as all this is, one does wonder if it’ll be enough, both to separate Breathless from a dense crowd of rival shows and to balance the more serious elements with the more YA-style nonsense." Adding, "At least the subject is always topical. Hospitals are brutally strained the world over, and underpinning all of the more exaggerated surface-level stuff is a worthwhile story about a floundering health service and the people who are underpaid and overstressed to keep it running. Breathless adopts a familiar device of beginning in medias res and then cycling backward to show how we got to that point, and the anticipated event is a strike that you just know is going to be earned on the back of a great deal of trauma. Presentation-wise Breathless is familiar too. The natural beauty of Spain crops up now and again but most of the action takes place indoors, understandably. Scrubs and beds and bedpans and scalpels are all universal sights and they help the audience to feel like they’re in familiar territory. Gore-hounds will also be satisfied by a fair helping of blood and guts in the line of duty."

        Joel Keller of Decider says, "It’s entertaining enough to watch while doing other things, especially if you turn on the English dub. But it’s nothing we haven’t seen dozens of times before." Continuing, "Patricia’s breast cancer case will be a season through-line, but because we’re not particularly versed in Spanish politics, especially in a semi-autonomous region like Valencia, some of the impact of that storyline will likely be lost on us. We guess most non-Spanish viewers will have a similar issue with trying to figure out just how significant a figure Patricia is. But her character is certainly one of the more interesting on the show, and having a high-level politician as a public hospital patient surely will help Néstor in his efforts to get his grievances heard."

Photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash

        Paula Vázquez Prieto of La Nación writes, "The humanity of the performances lends greater weight to the conflicts than the vices that the algorithm imposes on contemporary offerings. "

       Juan Pablo Russo of EscribiendoCine praises the series, stating, "The series certainly presents itself as a guilty pleasure for fans of hospital dramas, with enough intrigue and excitement to keep an audience hooked." Concluding, "With an ensemble cast that includes talents such as Manu Ríos, Najwa Nimri, Aitana Sánchez Gijón, Borja Luna, Alfonso Bassave and Blanca Suárez, Respira explores the inner lives of its characters, each of whom brings a different perspective on the healthcare system. Through this diversity of voices, the series attempts to reflect the complexity of the dynamics within the hospital. However, it often resorts to archetypes and stereotypes that simplify the characters. The role of Najwa Nimri, who plays a right-wing politician with a strong stance in favor of privatization, stands out for her charisma. However, her character tends to be Manichean, causing the viewer to develop a certain empathy towards her, despite her questionable ideals and harmful policies."