The Crystal Cuckoo (El cuco de cristal ), one of the most anticipated Spanish series of 2025, has finally landed on Netflix, bringing another high-stakes adaptation from bestselling author Javier Castillo. Already familiar to global audiences through The Snow Girl and The Patients of Dr. García, Castillo returns with a story that leans heavily into psychological tension and moral unease. Blending psychological thriller and medical drama, the series unfolds as a tightly wound mystery driven by obsession, guilt, and buried truths. The cast includes Catalina Sopelana, Álex García, Itziar Ituño, and Iván Massagué, anchoring a narrative that favors atmosphere over easy answers. Here’s everything you need to know – from the storyline and cast to spoilers and release details. The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
The Crystal Cuckoo (El cuco de cristal) – All the key details
- Original Title: El cuco de cristal
- Format: Miniseries
- Number of Episodes: 6
- Genre: Psychological thriller
- Country of Production: Spain
- Original Language: Spanish
- Creator: Javier Castillo
- Main Cast: Catalina Sopelana, Álex García, Itziar Ituño, Iván Massagué
- Production: Netflix
What the story is about
The Crystal Cuckoo centers on Clara Merlo, a young medical resident whose life is saved by an emergency heart transplant. As her body heals, Clara begins to experience sensations that go beyond physical recovery – vivid dreams, emotional shifts, and an unsettling sense of connection to a life she never lived. What starts as quiet disorientation slowly turns into a need for answers.
Her quest to discover the identity of her donor soon becomes an obsession. The search leads her to an isolated village, seemingly frozen in time, where silence hides painful secrets. On the day she arrives, a disturbing event echoes the past: the disappearance of a newborn, while past and present intertwine in a dangerous, enigmatic mosaic. The series’ atmosphere is dense, hypnotic, and rich in symbolism, combining medical introspection, family drama, and mysteries yet to be uncovered.
Catalina Sopelana, known for her role in The Gardener, stars as Clara Merlo, the protagonist who, after a heart transplant, struggles with questions of identity and self-discovery. Álex García takes on a key role, while Itziar Ituño—famous for playing the inspector in Money Heist—portrays a strong, complex character with morally ambiguous traits. Iván Massagué, unforgettable in Platform, completes the cast with an intense performance, bringing a character marked by guilt and uncertainty.
You may also like ► The best Spanish shows streaming on Netflix
While not based on real events, the story deeply explores the ethical dilemmas of transplantology and the theory of organ memory, a fascinating topic that blends science and myth.
The series is available for streaming on Netflix starting November 14, 2025 ► Watch now on Netflix
