We all go through a phase where nothing seems believable, everything around us is an absurd blend of bleakness. In that phase, our faith slips through our fingers swiftly. Netflix’s Tin And Tina’s protagonist, Maria de los Dolores aka Lola (Milena Smit), is going through the same phase. She sees the world through tinted glass. There is no place for religion or God in her life anymore, she’s turned into an atheist. That is until her life is turned upside down and Lola is caught in a dark web.
Manifested by Rubin Stein, Tin And Tina is a psychological horror thriller that is a subtle journey of embracing faith. Set in the early 1980s, Tin and Tina follow Lola and her husband Adolfo (Jaime Lorente) who try to deal with two creepy children, Tin (Carlos Gonzalez Morollon) and Tina (Anastasia Russo) and fail immensely. Here is a rundown of what Netflix’s Tin and Tina is about!
Tin And Tina Plot Synopsis
Lola and Adolfo are a normal couple, reciting marital vows in a church and pledging to stick by each other in times of despair. They didn’t know the time of despair was awaiting them right outside the church. The wedding bells are still ringing in the background when Lola’s white dress is tainted red and all the smiles drop immediately. Lola wakes up in a hospital and is now left to endure the pain of losing her child and never being able to conceive again.
Though Adolfo tries his best to help Lola overcome their loss, his efforts remain futile for months. One day, tired of witnessing his wife stay submerged in grief, Adolfo’s patience snaps. So, the couple decides to adopt a child and leave their past behind–or more like Adolfo decides for both of them. In the convent, Lola is floored when she hears two young kids playing the piano and immediately takes a liking towards them. The fair-skinned blonde-haired twins, Tin and Tina, might appear creepy to anyone, not Lola and Adolfo. A mistake? Well, you’ll find out.
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Are Tin And Tina Hiding Behind The Curtain Of Belief?
Biblical references, God’s wrath and mystical miracles are at the heart of these overly religious twins. Adolfo and Lola are way further down in the pyramid of belief while Tin and Tina are at the top tier. Now, they start trying to lure Adolfo and Lola towards God, too. Their method of doing so is way beyond normal, bordering on absurdity and insanity. When Lola refuses to believe in God, explaining that she hasn’t seen him once, Tin and Tina take it upon themselves to help Lola change her mind. Tina wraps Tin’s face with plastic, almost choking him to death to let him see God.
Apparently, Tin does and he asks God for a miracle for his mother, Lola. She brushes their behaviour to the teachings and preachings of the convent initially. Later on, Kuki, Lola’s dog bites her after barking constantly on Tin and Tina. In order to cleanse him and free Lola of Kuki’s sudden anger, Tin and Tina use Lola’s sleeping medicines and feed him them. They dissect him, stabbing him with a sharp knife over and over before washing his soul with holy water. Adolfo finds them soaked in blood, chalking it to a childish mistake driven by the values instilled in them. Though Lola’s instincts claim otherwise, she tries to believe Adolfo.
Tin And Tina Ending Explained: Did Lola Finally Embrace Religion?
On New Year’s Eve, when Lola suddenly falls unconscious, Adolfo hurries her to a hospital. Good news knocks on their doorstep with Lola being announced pregnant. Tin believes it was his wish that’s been granted. Back at school, Tin and Tina are teased by a fellow classmate, Pedro, who calls them Count Dracula Children. As they prepare for an event at the church, Pedro teases that Tin and Tina are walking on the path of Lucifer. Yes, these religion-obsessed kids try to help him, too.
Though there is no shred of evidence against Tin and Tina that they pushed Pedro into a coma, Lola firmly believes it. She tries convincing Adolfo, too, but he denies her claims. When Tin and Tina cuff Lola’s wrists and tries to inject her with some sort of helpful medicine, Adolfo is proven wrong. When these twins almost drown the newly born child of Lola and Adolfo in the name of baptizing him, their patience snaps. So, Lola and Adolfo send them back to the convent.
Back at home, Adolfo is struck by lightning and is burnt. The entire house is lit by fire. Lola wakes up unconscious in a hospital to find her husband dead and the nun waiting for her. She helps her realize that it wasn’t Tin and Tina’s fault that she couldn’t understand their innocent belief. In the end, as Lola watches Adolfo being lowered to the ground, she and her three kids embrace religion wholeheartedly.
Tin And Tina Review: A Sloppy 2-Hour-Long Tale Of Embracing Faith Enveloped In The Form Of Horror Thriller
Rubin Stein has done a commendable job with the screenplay. Set in early 1980s Spain, Netflix’s Tin and Tina has wrapped multiple story arcs and genres into one. The blend, sadly, isn’t the most outstanding one. Lola and Adolfo’s neglect towards Tin and Tina’s actions is notably the most perplexing and unnerving scene. Instead of making them truly grasp the values taught in the religious books, Lola banned them from talking about religion wholly, pushing them away from their anchor.
She is dealing with depression and anxiety issues of her own, Adolfo is a busy pilot and often works late at night. Tin and Tina do not fit in their world and instead of trying to help channel their beliefs for betterment, Lola leaves them to fend for themselves mostly. The acting skills demonstrated by Morollon and Russo steal the show definitely. They understand what they are onto and that’s the most beautiful aspect of the movie. Yet, trying to incorporate the complexities of motherhood and abandoned children doesn’t resonate properly. Despite the movie having a few redeeming qualities, it mostly stands at 5 on 10 for me.
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