Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Apache: The Life of Carlos Tevez’ on Netflix, a Gritty and Realistic Biography of a Soccer Superstar

The debut episode of Netflix’s Apache: The Life of Carlos Tevez is heavy on the grit. The eight-episode scripted biography of the Argentinian soccer superstar focuses on his youth in Fuerte Apache, the poverty- and crime-ridden neighborhood of Ciudadela, near Buenos Aires. He was surrounded by guns and drugs, but remained focused on the sport that would eventually bring him international fame and fortune.

APACHE: THE LIFE OF CARLOS TEVEZ: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: The real-life Tevez sits in front of an urban backdrop, describing a near-death experience.

The Gist: Tevez’s introduction is followed by a scene of hysteria. It’s 1984. His mother, Adriana (Vanesa Gonzalez) and aunt Fabiana (Sofia Gala) rush the infant Carlos to the hospital — Adriana accidentally spilled scalding-hot tea on him. The third-degree burns would create significant scars on his neck and chest that he still bears today, and refuses to have surgically altered.

Jump ahead to 1996. Carlos is 12 (Balthazar Murillo). Fabiana and his uncle Segundo (Alberto Ajaka) are raising him, along with their two boys, with another sibling on the way. Segundo is a bricklayer, working extra hours so they can move to a bigger place when the baby arrives. Carlos and his best friend Danilo (Matias Recalt) stop on their way home from school to gawk at the body of a neighborhood teen, who was stabbed, shot in the head and left to die on the street — part of a quickly accelerating war between rival gangs.

Carlos’ girlfriend is Mariela (Fiona Pereira), but they keep their relationship secret because she’s the daughter of Segundo’s boss. He scores three goals for the All Boys soccer team; a scout offers him a spot on the Argentinos team, but Carlos turns it down, seeing it as a lateral move. He visits his uncle in prison, one of many reminders for Carlos to stay out of trouble. On the way home, he stops to play soccer against a neighborhood rival, but the game is interrupted by the sound of gunfire. The gang war is in full roar. Fabiana races from the apartment to get him and Danilo, and on the way back, an injured gangbanger points his pistol at her — before he’s flushed from the corridor and killed.

Our Take: It’s all about the realism. So far, Apache is extraordinary at establishing a gritty, unvarnished context for Tevez’s early life. The tight living spaces, the gymnasium where Carlos plays soccer and the overall air of danger convey a sense of spatial and psychological claustrophobia that will make the protagonist’s inevitable escape from it all the more dramatic.

The writing and performances are uniformly solid, and bookending the episode with scenes from the burn ward is a strong idea creatively — it gives the sense of a legend of sorts being born, and is handled with great sensitivity. Tevez’s participation in the project makes it clear that his stamp of approval is on the series (which concludes with disclaimers about it being a work of fiction, and all that), but so far, it’s unvarnished and sincere, and doesn’t have the air of self-aggrandizement.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: Back in 1984, Adriana puts her hand in the incubator to touch the severely burned baby Carlos. She smiles, and a tear rolls down her cheek.

Sleeper Star: Pereira only has two scenes, but there’s a natural sincerity in her eyes that lends her charismatic screen presence. Hopefully, she’ll be a significant player in future episodes.

Most Pilot-y Line: “Drugs are always why,” Segundo says at the dinner table, when the kids ask why the neighborhood boy was killed.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Apache isn’t upper-echelon prestige TV (at least not yet), but it’s across-the-board sturdy, and carries some dramatic heft. It’s not just about soccer — it’s pragmatic and sober, and feels like life.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.

Stream Apache on Netflix