Green Frontier

Lore & Background

Green Frontier was ordered by Netflix on November 22, 2017, as a first season of eight episodes. The series is based on an original idea from Diego Ramírez Schrempp and Jenny Ceballos of Dynamo. Principal photography took place on location in Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia in 2018. The official teaser was released on July 29, 2019, followed by the official trailer on August 5, 2019.

Reader's Guide

Green Frontier is significant as a Colombian crime thriller miniseries that premiered on Netflix, expanding the platform's international content. The series achieved a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. Its production involved notable Colombian directors and writers, and it was filmed on location in the Amazon region. The miniseries highlights indigenous themes and environmental intrigue within a crime narrative, contributing to the global visibility of Colombian television.

Did You Know?

• The series was created by Diego Ramírez Schrempp, Mauricio Leiva-Cock, and Jenny Ceballos.
• It premiered on Netflix on August 16, 2019.
• Principal photography took place in Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia in 2018.
• The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating for the first season.

Story & Premise

Green Frontier, known in Spanish as Frontera Verde, is a Colombian crime thriller that plunges viewers into the dense, untamed heart of the Amazon. At its core, the narrative follows a young detective who ventures deep into the jungle along the Brazil-Colombia border to unravel a string of strange and unsettling murders. What begins as a conventional homicide investigation quickly spirals into something far more complex. As the detective digs deeper, she uncovers a mysterious indigenous tribe guarding an extraordinary secret—one they are prepared to defend at any cost. This blend of procedural crime drama with elements of mystery and cultural intrigue sets the series apart, transforming a straightforward murder investigation into a layered exploration of hidden worlds within the rainforest. The miniseries format, consisting of eight episodes, allows the story to build tension steadily before reaching its conclusion, giving the narrative room to breathe within the vast, uncharted landscape of the Amazon frontier.

Creative Vision & Production

The miniseries was born from an original concept developed by Diego Ramírez Schrempp and Jenny Ceballos, both associated with the production company Dynamo. Together with Mauricio Leiva-Cock, these three creators shaped the series, which Netflix greenlit with an eight-episode first-season order on November 22, 2017. The directing helm was shared among Ciro Guerra, Jacques Toulemonde Vidal, and Laura Mora Ortega, giving the project a collaborative cinematic sensibility. Behind the scenes, a substantial writing team of eight—including Gibran Portela, Camila Brugés, Natalia Santa, Javier Peñalosa, Maria Camila Arias, Anton Goenechea, and Nicolás Serrano—crafted the scripts alongside Leiva-Cock. Executive production duties fell to Schrempp, Guerra, Andrés Calderón, Jorge Dorado, and Cristian Conti, with Dynamo Producciones serving as the primary production company. This layered creative structure reflects the ambition of bringing a distinctly Colombian story to a global streaming audience.

Cast & Character Ensemble

The series assembles a diverse ensemble of Colombian and international talent to bring its Amazonian world to life. Juana del Río anchors the cast as Helena Poveda, the young detective at the center of the investigation, while Nelson Camayo portrays Reynaldo Bueno and Ángela Cano takes on the role of Ushe. The supporting cast includes Miguel Dionisio Ramos as Yua, Bruno Clairefond as Joseph Schultz, and Andrés Crespo as Efrain Márquez. Religious figures in the story are embodied by Marcela Mar as Hermana Raquel and Karla López as Hermana Esther, adding a spiritual dimension to the narrative. Mónica Lopera appears as Aura, Andrés Castañeda as Iván Uribe, John Narváez as Cayetano, Edwin Morales in an unnamed role, and Antonio Bolívar as Wilson Nai. Gabriella Campagna joins in a recurring capacity as Hermana Sonia. The casting was confirmed shortly after Netflix issued its series order, with del Río, Camayo, and Cano identified as the lead trio early in the process.

Filming, Release & Critical Response

Principal photography for the eight-episode first season unfolded on location in Leticia, a city nestled in the Amazonas department of Colombia, during 2018. Shooting in the actual border region where the story is set lent the production an authentic, immersive quality that studio-bound filming could not replicate. The build-up to the series' debut was carefully staged: Netflix dropped the official teaser on July 29, 2019, followed by the full trailer on August 5, 2019, before the miniseries premiered on the platform on August 16, 2019. Upon release, Green Frontier earned a perfect 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 7.5 out of 10 based on six critic reviews. Though the sample of professional reviews was modest, the unanimous positive reception signaled that the series successfully translated its Amazonian mystery into a compelling streaming experience for international audiences.