Sep 10, 2026 6:55pm IST
‘Drawn Together’ Review: Ester Expósito and Hugo Diego Garcia’s Chemistry Powers This Bodyguard Romance
The bodyguard romance genre just got a competent new entry. “Drawn Together” or “Enfrentados: Marfil,” directed by Óscar Pedraza and starring Ester Expósito and Hugo Diego Garcia, cracks the one critical requirement for a romantic thriller with the forced proximity trope: chemistry. The story and setup come from author Mercedes Ron, in her third book series adaptation with Prime Video. This one veers out of the YA (Young Adult) space, unlike her “Culpables” and “Dímelo” series, and into the mature adult space.
Marfil Cortés (Expósito) is a 20-something elder daughter of a Spanish businessman, Alejandro Cortés (Pablo Molinero), who lives in New York City. She’s a gifted ballet dancer, a trait she inherited from her deceased mother, who was a Russian ballerina. When Marfil is kidnapped from Central Park and returned in a few days, without a ransom call or note, her father and his consigliere, Logan (Lluís Homar), decree that Marfil will now have a 24/7 bodyguard named Sebastián Moore (Garcia). Initially hesitant to have a shadow watching her every move, Marfil warms up to him after he starts training her in self-defense and she sees a softer side to him. Expecting her to be a stuck-up rich kid, Sebastián is surprised by her determination, compassion and courage. And of course, her elephant-like memory.
Unbeknownst to Marfil, everyone’s keeping secrets from her. Alejandro’s suspicious business dealings are the real threat to his daughters, Marfil and Gabriela (Zoe Bonafonte), who studies in a different country. Sebastián, too, has an ulterior motive. As Marfil and Sebastián grow closer, the enemy closes in too, leading to a bloody climax and heartbreak.
Related Stories
In a chat with Variety India, author Mercedes Ron revealed she always wanted Ester Expósito to play Marfil but wasn’t sure she’d say yes. In another chat, Ester explained why she said yes to playing Marfil, and what sets the character apart from similar protagonists and makes her compelling. Female characters with agency aren't rare these days, but one of the best things about “Drawn Together” is that it gives the female lead more personality than just looking pretty and showing strength for one training montage. Marfil’s courage and intelligence are woven into the story. And Expósito is extremely watchable as Marfil, bringing the right amount of oomph, playfulness and heart to the heroine.
Expósito’s Marfil finds the perfect partner in Garcia’s Sebastián. The actor looks like a model, fights like a professional and nails the serious, “all-business” face set until Marfil shatters his hard exterior with a well-placed kick, and he smiles. Their chemistry peaks during a date sequence that takes the couple across a New York that hasn’t been seen in a while—green-and-yellow tinged, almost somber and very particularly belonging to a foreign language film.
The date ends with an electric moment between the two in an elevator, which both actors have revealed is one of their favorite scenes. And there’s a well-placed hat-tip to the 90s’ cult romance, “The Bodyguard,” evidently an inspiration for Ron’s story. The film is peppered with songs that also nod to the era: “I’m Just A Girl” by No Doubt, “Part-Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder, “Crazy” by Seal, and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane (of course, played during the climax) exist alongside popular 2000s numbers like “I’m Yours” by Isabel LaRosa and “Desire” by Fontaines D.C.
“Drawn Together” is definitely different from author Mercedes Ron’s previous adapted works, because its protagonists are mature adults not prone to impulsiveness and follies of passion, like Nick and Noah of “My Fault.” It’s also aware of its ambition and manages to pull it off. After giving its audience what they want—a great buildup of the romance and a focus on the main characters—the film swiftly moves into its endgame without dilly-dallying. There’s a bad guy, and once he appears on the scene, the film follows a mostly predictable route, but makes the surprises land for its characters, like the staircase scene with Marfil and Sebastián that unmasks the final secret between them and the eventual fate of Alejandro.
The ending does leave you wanting the sequel, teased by the film’s final words spoken by Marfil: “Ébano.” It is the title of the second book in Ron’s “Enfrentados” duology, on which “Drawn Apart” is based. It ties together what the film has been trying to do, and the wink earlier in the film at the 1982 Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney song, “Ebony and Ivory,” which in Spanish translates to “Marfil y Ébano.” All in all, Marfil and Sebastian’s love story delivers on its promise and sets up interest for the sequel that has already been shot. So you’ll be waiting, but not for long.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.