Las muertas Brings Mexico’s Darkest True Crime to Netflix

Netflix is adding another high-profile Mexican project to its lineup with “Las muertas”, a series directed by Luis Estrada, based on the novel of the same name by Jorge Ibargüengoitia, inspired by the notorious true crime case of ‘Las Poquianchis’.

The show premieres on September 10th, marking Estrada’s debut in a television series after a successful film career with acclaimed works like La ley de Herodes and La dictadura perfecta.

 

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Set in Mexico during the 1950s and 60s, the series tells the story of two sisters, Serafina and Arcángela Baladro, who take advantage of their status and the system’s impunity to build a brothel empire based on the exploitation and enslavement of women. What starts as a business turns into a grotesque tale of power, corruption, and death.

While sprinkled with fictional elements, the series is based on real events: the case of the Gonzalez Valenzuela sisters, known as “Las Poquianchis,” who were responsible for abductions, forced prostitution, and murders in Guanajuato over several decades of the 20th century.

 

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Netflix presents the series as “a tale of power, ambition, and well-poured drinks,” filled with Mexican satire, social tension, and a spirit of denunciation. This adaptation taps into a narrative that, despite being written over 40 years ago, remains relevant with themes like gender violence, impunity, and structural inequality.

Main Cast:

• Paulina Gaitán as Serafina Baladro (based on Delfina González Valenzuela).
• Arcelia Ramírez as Arcángela Baladro (inspired by María del Jesús González Valenzuela).
• Joaquín Cosío as Captain Bedoya, a military man embodying institutional corruption.
• Alfonso Herrera as Simón, a key figure in the development of the female narrative.
• Mauricio Isaac, in an undisclosed role.

 

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Luis Estrada, known for his sharp sociopolitical critique, has called this series “the most ambitious project” of his career. Since the 1970s, he has wanted to adapt Ibargüengoitia’s work, and now he’s finally managed to do it with a production that promises to be one of the television events of the year.

“Las muertas” arrives at a key moment for Mexican content, where dark, real stories with social resonance find an audience among new generations through streaming. The blend of dark humor, social commentary, and cinematic aesthetics could turn it into another classic of Mexican television.