'Final Project' Netflix Review: Let’s Not Get Ahead Of Ourselves 

Micro-drama have become the latest addiction of anyone who enjoys a bit of excessive scrolling on their phones, and for some reason, Netflix chose to hop on this trend with no real vision. Of course, when something new shows up in your industry, you’ve got to adapt. Well, you can take the inevitable introduction of AI, for instance, because without a doubt, this is a far more sincere and worthy choice. But does it work? The snackable series is not new to the platform either. There have been more in the past, but this is my first ever introduction to the short-form episodic content that has apparently taken the media world by storm. I suppose the benefit is that it’s addicting, but you could also watch it in your short breaks and finish everything in about a hundred to two hundred minutes. But what you really need in that much time is something that’s at least a little bit compelling in terms of storytelling. 

Final Project (titled Proyecto Final in Spanish), is a Mexican micro-drama series that tries to be the most mysterious teen TV show you may have ever come across. However, in the process, it fails to actually engage in anything mysterious. The show follows Tamara, a young woman who is best friends with a guy named Daniel, and together, they’re working on a project to expose the bullies of their class in the form of a realistic documentary for the final project. Tamara and Daniel have some ideas about victims and beauty and a bunch of other things that nobody, not even their teacher, knows about. On the other hand are the real bullies, Xavi, Pato, and Samantha. Xavi and Samantha are a couple, and Pato is the jealous best friend who wants to be as famous as his pal, Xavi, however, without his looks or popularity, it’s never going to happen. The real drama begins when Xavi decides he wants to play a terrible prank on Tamara by taking her virginity. She’s known as the “vampire” because of her outcast status. 

The 20-episode series has episodes ranging from about 5-6 minutes long to about 8 minutes, and half the time goes to credits too. What I appreciated about the short-form style was that even though it felt old school with the overdramatic soap-style acting, it worked better than most recent soaps I’ve had the misfortune of watching. I think this is the best format for shows that are trying to be a little extra. The telenovela can definitely cash in on this format. But when it comes to the mystery aspect of the show, that’s when everything goes downhill. I suppose the teen drama is targeted at younger Gen Zers, who might want something to pass the time with while travelling from work or some such thing. But it’s simply too juvenile to genuinely enjoy, in my opinion. On the other hand, if real teenagers get their hands on shows like this, they will be addicted in minutes, and that could be a problem. 

Did I find this show in particular bingeable? Truth be told, after some time, instead of being like “I want to know what’s coming for this gang,” I was actually bored and wishing it was over already. Can something that is specifically designed to be short actually feel overlong? Well, I’ve just found out that it absolutely can. Visually, the show looks like a “Final Project.” You know I had to. It’s not bad in terms of how it’s made. The visuals are good, though way too desaturated for some reason. The actors do their best to give us believable performances, though the plot itself is paper-thin. 

And to me, that’s the biggest problem with Final Project. If you want someone to invest so much of their time in a thriller series, the big reveal at the end should be rewarding in at least some way. I like that the show is not a slow-burn in any shape or form. I don’t think it can be, considering whatever needs to happen must happen with little to no build-up, but at the end of the day, if the actual plot twist isn’t a twist at all, the whole thing feels like a big waste of time. In this case, you can see the turn of events coming from miles away, and by the time the last episode rolls in, you’re bored to death by these characters. On top of that, there’s a romance angle that actually takes up most of the show, for obvious reasons. What I’ve heard is that those are the kinds of shows that do really well in this format. I can totally see how gratifying that could be. 

Ultimately, if you ask me, this show is a big waste of your time and just not worth it at all. I’d rather catch something genuinely good, even if it’s long, than waste my time on this just because it has the promise of being bingeable and short. The romance is cringey, and the plot twist is not worthy of anything more than a facepalm. It also feels like the whole story was written as an afterthought, which makes it all the more unpleasant. I suppose the problem really is that it’s attempting to be too many things at once. The twists keep coming, the drama keeps amping up, but for what reason? Nobody knows. Plus, whatever is happening continues to be more absurd than what’s happened earlier. I know teen dramas are meant to be a release of sorts for stress and tension, but this show in particular will not do any of that. In fact, it might leave you with a headache because of how lame it really is. So while I do appreciate that this is a format that allows more young and budding actors to get a chance at doing what they love, I can’t say Final Project was a good show in any way. But for the sake of the young actors, who try their best to keep the show alive, I will give Final Project 2 out of 5 stars. Only watch it if you’re ready to feel like you know everything before it happens.