La Dama del Silencio. El caso Mataviejitas

Netflix goes back to its documentary drawing board, venturing out of the United States in search of riveting serial killer cases. This time, the setting is Mexico, and several elderly women are being strangled to death between the period of 1998 - 2006. The case presents its interesting details - the killer could be a woman? There's also the timely bias in the perception of transvestites and homosexuals. Even with multiple officers assigned to the cases, multiple composites to go by, and even a 3D bust of the killer shown extensively in news media and public spaces, the incompetence of the local police force to connect the dots and capture the killer is clearly evident. The government came up with silly solutions like the additional door lock and so on.

A couple of suspects are interrogated and even sentenced for the killings with no conclusive evidence. The actual killer is revealed only in the final 45 minutes. The story then takes a decisive turn, diving into the reasonings and the methods of execution. The killer profiling was correct, and the composites did look quite similar to the real person, yet how she got away with so many murders over the years while living a regular life with her family is shocking, to say the least. The piece could have easily been a bit crisper; however, due time is given to the victims' acquaintances and kin. That's always an appreciable aspect when it comes to documentaries like these. A suspect wrongly accused of the murders is still in jail - another confusing aspect overall (even if she was a burglar). The crime scene recreation (and capture of the suspect) are done with finesse, though the soundtrack could've been better.

I'm so sorry to the people who have lost loved ones and have to watch this "documentary" set to this terrible Agatha Christie movie-of-the-week score. Such a disrespectful treatment of your pain.

I gave it three stars SOLELY because giving it only one felt like it might be another slap in the face to the victims, somehow.

I gave up in under ten minutes. Another reviewer called in "pensive" and I have to respectful disagree. I think I'd go with "carnival style", myself.

I'm Mexican and I am aware that my country is surreal at times, but this documentary man, I felt like I was watching a circus, the music made it all feel really strange and creepy.

The murders were gruesome and the way it was all arranged made me feel like they were making fun of it, I had nightmares the day I watched it.

The comments the authorities made were for me sort of disrespectful, and the way the are portrayed is not shocking but peculiar.

None the less it is an interesting subject and the story telling is not confusing. Hope this documentary shine some light and at least help the people who are wrongfully imprisoned released.

It's definitely a string of serious and captivating cases.

But there are elements in this documentary that just take away from its seriousness. First of all, some of the officers, seriously, "no serial killer in this country before this (since 1940's)?" Give me an effing break, most countries do, let alone Mexico, the problem is just the failures of many police officers in connecting the dots. It's not the fault of the producers that such inane comments were made, but no pushbacks?

Then the soundtrack, what's up with that? Strange application of a theme. I get it, it could instil a sense of irony and suspense, but there's a balance to strike here. The soundtrack at hand is just stupidly, comically farcical, as if being intentionally disrespectful to the victims. It's real life, not Dick Tracy. It can be funny when mocking politicians and police officers, not when victims are being shown. Also, it's perfectly ok to not have extraneous music for a few moments, the incessantly running music shows a lack of discipline and vision.

Then the pictures of victims being strangled being shown like some kind of visual technique. And a myriad of other visual techniques, they're not just distracting, but take away from the gravitas of the situation.

"Oh she has a robe... must be a healthcare personnel" (is dressing up impossible in the country?). Also this happened between 1999 and 2004, there's no more concrete method to verify DNA or whatnots before each suspect is being showcased in a glass cage like some kind of zoo animal? And the cute lock solution? As if that's going to stop a determined killer? "A man crossdresses as a woman," only for one of the officers to go "oh a homosexual" *face melts away emoji*. "Serial killers don't act near where they live or near their workplaces," says one officer (the same officer who claims it's the first time this is happening in the country, yet he has no qualms dispensing generalizations like a master). Seriously? Says who, which study? Because I can easily name some cases that contradict his assertion. What should a professional conduct be like, you ask? I know, getting the serial killer's signature as a sign of fan-girling.

So. Much. Stupidity.

I really enjoy Netflix documentaries, they are regularly well made and researched. However as others have said the background music for this documentary is absolutely awful and makes the very serious subject matter seem farcical. If I was the family members featured in the show I would find it an insulting and disrespectful. I managed to watch fifteen minutes of it and had to give up , what makes it even worse is that the soundtrack is loud and also drowns out some of the speech. I don't understand how this gets past any checks, I really hope in the future we can have an option to turn off background music on documentaries.