| The Dead Girls | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dark comedy |
| Based on | Las muertas (1977) byJorge 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 (2025-09-10) |
The Dead Girls (Spanish:Las muertas) is a Mexican limited television series based onthe 1977 novel byJorge Ibargüengoitia, which was inspired byLas Poquianchis.[1] The six-episode limited series, directed byLuis Estrada, debuted September 10, 2025, onNetflix.[2] The work is aSpanish language production that was both set and shot inMexico.
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 includesAlfonso Herrera,Joaquín Cosío, andMauricio Isaac.[2]
Based onLas muertas (1977) byJorge Ibargüengoitia, the show is a fictionalized treatment of corruption in the world ofhuman trafficking. Ibargüengoitia's novel was itself based upon the real Mexican crime network of the 1940s through 1960s, led by four sisters known asLas Poquianchis.[1] The show's director,Luis Estrada, had previously been approached by an American company to produce anEnglish 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 atEstudios Churubusco, as well as locations in Guanajuato,Veracruz, andSan Luis Potosí.[6] Production began February 13, 2024.[7] Estrada's fatherJosé had previously adapted a work by Ibargüengoitia entitledMaten 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]
