The Dead Girls
| The Dead Girls | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dark comedy |
| Based on | Las muertas (1977) by Jorge Ibargüengoitia |
| Directed by | Luis Estrada |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | Mexico |
| Original language | Spanish |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Cinematography | Alberto Anaya Adalid "Mándaro" |
| Editor | Mariana Rodríguez |
| Running time | 61–79 minutes |
| Production company | Mezcala Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | September 10, 2025 |
The Dead Girls (Spanish: Las muertas) is a Mexican limited television series based on the 1977 novel by Jorge Ibargüengoitia, which was inspired by Las Poquianchis.[1] The six-episode limited series, directed by Luis Estrada, debuted September 10, 2025, on Netflix.[2] The work is a Spanish language production that was both set and shot in Mexico.
Premise
The Dead Girls is a series set in 1960s Mexico, which at first seems like a love story, but soon devolves into a historically-based, but fictional crime drama involving sex crimes and other felonies.[3] The series features sisters Arcángela (Arcelia Ramírez), and Serafina Baladro (Paulina Gaitán), who mastermind a brothel empire using unconscionable techniques. The supporting cast includes Alfonso Herrera, Joaquín Cosío, and Mauricio Isaac.[2]
Cast
Main cast
- Paulina Gaitán as Serafina Baladro
- Arcelia Ramírez as Arcángela Baladro
- Alfonso Herrera as Simón Corona
- Joaquín Cosio as Capt. Bedoya
- Mauricio Isaac as La Calavera
Supporting cast
- Tenoch Huerta as Delfino
- Edwarda Gurrola as Lupe
- Juan Carlos Remolina as Don Mariano
- Patricia Loranca as Evelia
- Krystian Ferrer as Brave Nicholas
- Elias Toscano as Beto Paredes
- Yessica Borroto Perryman as Blanca
- Sofia Espinosa as Maria del Carmen
- Enrique Arreola as Escalera
- Fernanda Rivera as Luis María
- Cecilia de los Santos Vargas as Rosa
- Natalia Quiroz as Gloria
- Renée Sabina as Elvira
- Raúl Méndes as architect Hernández
- Ximena Romo as Conchita Zamora
- Carlos Corona as Sirenio Pantoja
- Salvador Sánchez as Judge Peralta
- Dagoberto Gama as Inspector Cueto
- Fernando Bonilla as Ticho
- Sonia Couoh as Aurora
- Rodrigo Murray as Mr. Sanabria
- Leticia Huijara as Eulalia Baladro
- Jorge Zárate as Captain Zárate
- Carlos Aragón as Teófilo Pinto
- Karen Martí as Socorro
- Mariané Cartas as Herminia
- Dunia Alexandra as Marta
- Kat Rigoni as Felizia
- Emilia Berjón as Ernestina, Helda or Elena
Production
Based on Las muertas (1977) by Jorge Ibargüengoitia, the show is a fictionalized treatment of corruption in the world of human trafficking. Ibargüengoitia's novel was itself based upon the real Mexican crime network of the 1940s through 1960s, led by four sisters known as Las Poquianchis.[1] The show's director, Luis Estrada, had previously been approached by an American company to produce an English language film based on the novel and his response was "...you don't understand anything. I don't know why you're buying the rights to the most Mexican soap opera in history, just to want to make a spoof." Following his success with ¡Que viva México! (2023), Netflix offered him the chance to direct a more faithful version of the novel.[4] By developing the story as a series on Netflix rather than as a theatrical movie, Estrada felt he was able to more comprehensively cover the story, as the format allowed for over seven hours of content.[5]
Filming took place at Estudios Churubusco, as well as locations in Guanajuato, Veracruz, and San Luis Potosí.[6] Production began February 13, 2024.[7] Estrada's father José had previously adapted a work by Ibargüengoitia entitled Maten al león into a film.[6][8] The work marked Luis Estrada's episodic format directorial debut;[6] he served various other roles. Estrada was director and showrunner; Estrada, Jaime Sampietro and Rodrigo Santos adapted the teleplays from Ibargüengoitia's novel; and Estrada and Sandra Solares were executive producers.[3][9] Fernando Velázquez arranged the original music.[9]
References
- ^ a b Wandermurem, Isabella (September 10, 2025). "Breaking Down the Gripping Ending of The Dead Girl". Time. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ a b Melissa, Billie (September 11, 2025). "New True Crime Series 'The Dead Girls' Hits Netflix – Release Date, Schedule, How To Watch". Newsweek. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ a b Srivastav, Ritika (September 11, 2025). "The Dead Girls review: A wickedly funny bloodbath you won't see coming". India Today. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
- ^ González, Paloma (September 13, 2025). "Las Muertas: Netflix's most Mexican (and brutal) series". GQ Mexico and Latin America (in Spanish). Retrieved September 16, 2025.
- ^ Caballero, Jorge (September 11, 2025). "'Las muertas', historia "sórdida" que se volvió una obsesión para mí: Luis Estrada". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved September 17, 2025.
- ^ a b c Pérez Sánchez, Fernanda and Miguel Vicencio (September 10, 2025). "Las muertas: Reparto, historia real y capítulos de la serie de Netflix". Vogue México y Latinoamérica (in Spanish). Retrieved September 16, 2025.
- ^ Botello, Gabriela (February 13, 2024). "Start of Production 'Las Muertas' by Luis Estrada". Netflix. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ See Maten al león on the Spanish-language Wikipedia.
- ^ a b Leon, Karla (July 31, 2025). "Las muertas, la primera serie de Luis Estrada, llega a Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter (in Spanish). Retrieved September 16, 2025.