Romantic storytelling often leans on heightened drama, explosive arguments, or sweeping gestures. The New Years (Los Años Nuevos), a ten-part Spanish series from César Award–winning director Rodrigo Sorogoyen (The Beasts), takes the opposite approach—and that’s precisely what makes the Mubi series so compelling.
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The series follows Ana (Iria Del Río) and Óscar (Francesco Carril) from the night they first meet—New Year’s Eve, the moment they both turn thirty —through ten consecutive New Year’s Eves. Ana lives in a shared flat, drifts between friendships, and feels stuck in a job she dislikes. Óscar is a doctor with his life seemingly in order. When they fall in love, the series commits to an elegant narrative gamble: each episode captures only one night per year, allowing viewers to witness the evolution of their relationship without the clutter of everyday minutiae.
That structure is the show’s greatest strength. A decade-long relationship distilled into ten evenings is a quietly brilliant concept. By checking in just once a year, The New Years avoids the repetitive cycles of typical TV romances and instead focuses on what truly changes—and what stubbornly stays the same. Each episode feels distinct, shaped by where Ana and Óscar are in their lives, together or apart, keeping predictability refreshingly low.
This is a character study above all else. There are breakups and reunions, phases of closeness and distance, but no villains, no manufactured crises, and no overwrought confrontations. Sorogoyen resists melodrama, opting for naturalistic dialogue and understated direction. Even moments of apparent mundanity carry weight, revealing how love matures, fractures, and sometimes circles back.
The intimacy between Ana and Óscar is also portrayed with unusual honesty. Their sex life—explicit without being gratuitous—serves as another storytelling tool, charting the evolution of their bond over time. Óscar’s generosity as a lover and the changing dynamics between them add texture to a relationship that feels lived-in and real.
Iria Del Río and Francesco Carril bring humility and warmth to their performances, making it easy to stay invested even during the more tedious or uncertain years of the relationship. Their chemistry is rooted in familiarity rather than fireworks, which suits the series’ grounded tone perfectly.
Ultimately, The New Years is about choosing someone again and again—or choosing not to. It’s a quiet, thoughtful exploration of modern commitment, anchored by two deeply human performances and Sorogoyen’s deft, almost invisible direction. For viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling and emotionally honest romance, this is a series well worth ringing in—year after year.
