Mid-century Mexico’s glittering façade meets vice and impunity in a limited series that follows two madams who turn a brothel network into a machine of power, profit, and murder-directed by iconoclast Luis Estrada.
Here is everything you need to know about Las muertas -from the plot and cast to reviews and release date. The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
All the key details about Las muertas
- Title: The Dead Girls
- Original title: Las muertas
- Format: Miniseries (Limited)
- Runtime: 1 season (6 episodes; ~60–80 minutes each)
- Genre: Crime drama, thriller, dark satire
- Country of production: Mexico
- Original language: Spanish (Latin America)
- Year of release: 2025
- Director / Showrunner: Luis Estrada
- Main cast: Arcelia Ramírez, Paulina Gaitán, Joaquín Cosío, Alfonso Herrera
- Produced by: Bandidos Films, Jaibol Films for Netflix
What happens in Las muertas?
Set in the 1960s, the series follows sisters Arcángela and Serafina Baladro, who parlay their “houses” into an empire—buying officials, corralling clients in suits, and keeping a brutal ledger on the women who work for them. When a morality crusade and a clever state secretary threaten their kingdom, the Baladros double down, pushing their network deeper into corruption and violence.
The ascent and unraveling plays as both true-crime and civic autopsy: a Mexico of backroom deals, vanished victims, and a culture machine that converts scandal into spectacle. It’s gripping genre TV with a serrated political edge.
See also ► Netflix Secret Codes: Discover the hidden menu to unlock hundreds of hidden titles
Who’s in the cast of Las muertas?
Arcelia Ramírez is imperious as Arcángela; Paulina Gaitán plays the mercurial Serafina. Joaquín Cosío embodies Captain Bedoya, the iron-fist cop whose orbit tangles with the sisters, while Alfonso Herrera is Simón Corona, a baker whose affair with Serafina becomes a fuse. The ensemble also features Mauricio Isaac, Leticia Huijara, Carlos Aragón, and Kristyan Ferrer.
Is Las muertas based on a true story?
Yes-indirectly. The series adapts Jorge Ibargüengoitia’s acclaimed 1977 novel, itself inspired by the González Valenzuela sisters-“Las Poquianchis,” Mexico’s most infamous serial-killer case. Estrada leans into the book’s darkly comic tone while dramatizing a countrywide network of complicity.
What are the reviews on Las muertas?
Early reactions praise the show’s swaggering craft and Estrada’s signature mix of gallows humor and outrage. Genre outlets call it “very entertaining,” noting six long episodes with multiple perspectives and streaks of dark comedy, while Spanish-language critics highlight the satire aimed at corruption and impunity. Expect debate about the balance between sensational case and systemic critique—exactly where Estrada likes to operate.
Where was Las muertas filmed?
Production combined large-scale sets at Mexico City’s historic Estudios Churubusco with on-location shoots across San Luis Potosí (including the Centro Histórico and Cerro de San Pedro), Guanajuato, and Veracruz—recreating busy cantinas, ranch properties, and official buildings with period detail.
Las muertas: Behind the scenes and fun facts
- This is Luis Estrada’s first-ever series; he serves as director and showrunner.
- The production ran roughly 21–22 weeks, building hundreds of sets and mobilizing thousands of extras across multiple states.
- Netflix lists full episode titles and synopses—useful if you prefer to pace the heavier chapters.
What’s Las muertas like?
If you gravitate to period true-crime with a political bite—think the procedural drive of Narcos: Mexico filtered through dark, satirical heat—this limited series is for you. It blends pulpy momentum with a searing look at how institutions collude to erase victims.
See also ► The Thursday Murder Club tops Netflix’s global streaming: An outstanding cast for an intriguing story
When is Las muertas coming out on streaming?
Available now. Las muertas (The Dead Girls) is streaming on Netflix with all six episodes available at launch. Release date: September 10, 2025. Watch on Netflix.
Watch the trailer
In the meantime, here’s the trailer.
