Every once in a while, we come across a prison series so intense it puts us off watching anything serious for a long time. "En el Barro," as I discovered after watching the entire series, is a spin-off of the popular Argentine series "El Marginal." Unfortunately, I haven't seen the original, but I have a feeling I wouldn't have enjoyed it much, based on what I've seen of this series. "En el Barro" tells the story of women in La Quebrada prison, who find themselves in a difficult situation after one of their fellow inmates manages to escape, putting them all in a difficult position. The series offers everything from prison gang warfare and sexual assault to human trafficking and abuse of power. It doesn't hold back and is, without a doubt, one of the bloodiest series you'll see on Netflix.
The series starts chaotically and never slows down. Sure, nothing is as exciting as the first episode, but there's something about everything that feels like it's in a hurry to get somewhere, but does it succeed? In my opinion, I don't think so. I quite enjoyed the final act of the series, long after the frenetic part, when it finally slows down to give us a profound feeling, but is it worth watching the whole thing for that moment of solace? Not at all.
Creator: Sebastián Ortega
Stars: Ana Garibaldi, Valentina Zenere, Rita Cortese
Look, if you started out as a fan of the original series, you'll probably enjoy what happens here, but as someone who came in with a blank slate, I found this series overly sensationalized and, at times, absolutely unbearable. So the prison is divided into different sects of women, with a couple of queen bees and a lot of drama. However, one of them is a group of women who produce explicit videos to make money. While this is perfectly fine, we don't need to spend half the film watching these women have sex, because it feels exploitative and totally unnecessary. On the other hand, I'm sick of sexual abuse being shown in such detail on television. Please stop. We don't have to be traumatized like this; it doesn't make the show any more authentic, real, or cool. Just stop.
There's a lot going on in this show, and it's quite difficult to follow. It doesn't take time to get to know the characters, so only a few really stand out, especially if you binge-watch. Since all eight episodes premiered at once, I guess that's the intention, but if it were up to me, if I really had to watch the show, I'd watch it in chunks so I wouldn't feel overwhelmed.
As for the positives, I'll admit that the idea is pretty solid: the struggle of women in prison and the lengths to which those in power will go to enforce it. How far will women go to protect their loved ones, etc.? But the show largely lacks empathy for these same female characters, making them seem absolutely unworthy of our empathy. This is what completely saps my enjoyment of the show. Plus, the characters seem pretty standard for a soap opera, and then there's the over-the-top stuff. I also didn't fully enjoy the characters' motivations, which gave the impression that these women are fighting to break free only for the men they love or have lost.
The show also feels quite unstable, as it constantly changes plots, but clearly wants to focus on one character in particular because she delivers the most shocking outcomes and gives us plenty of on-screen sex. Of course, that's what we're all here for, right? I feel like I'm repeating myself, but honestly, I'm sick of the oversaturation of explicit content in shows just for the purpose of sensationalizing. Then there's that character who swears nonstop and says the most absurd and disgusting things, something I honestly don't want to read (since I don't understand Spanish).
When I watch a show, I mostly focus on the cultural context, especially when it comes to global television. Shows are a transition to a world, a universe, a culture, whatever you want to call it. I guess in this case it's prison culture, but very unrealistic (or at least I hope so). I must admit that all the cast members did a great job portraying their characters and bringing them to life, even if they were poorly done. Lefty was definitely a character I enjoyed, and Lorena Verga gave her a nuanced performance. There are a pair of thuggish twins who are almost funny in how "tough" they want to be, almost reminiscent of Tweedledum and Tweedledee from Tim Burton's 2010 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Even their clothes seem to mimic them at times. I think Marina is the least interesting character despite having the most screen time, probably because of her attractiveness and all, but I guess that's television.
Ultimately, if you're in the mood for something violent with women in power, this series could be ideal. It's not very narratively effective, but it definitely has some good points. The best part, in my opinion, was the last scene, especially seeing Gladys lose her temper, but you'll have to watch it to understand what I mean. Some characters get sloppy midway through because there are too many things going on at once, making the series seem like it's trying too hard to be complicated when it isn't. I would give In the Mud 2 out of 5 stars. Also, it's too traumatizing a series to watch for entertainment, so be warned.
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