La Dama del Silencio

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.

*"The Lady of Silence: The Mataviejitas Murders" (2023) is a chilling true-crime documentary that delves into the horrifying string of murders that terrorized Mexico City between 1998 and 2005. The film meticulously recounts the investigation, highlighting the fear that gripped the city and the eventual shocking revelation of the unlikely suspect. Through gripping interviews and detailed storytelling, it explores not only the crimes but also societal attitudes and the police's struggle to catch the killer. Dark and compelling, the documentary provides a haunting look at one of Mexico's most notorious cases.

Not bad very straight forward! Crazy on the motive tho she probly had it tough growing up wish they had more details about her younger years

Very sad for the loss of their grandmothers the years and amount of people that were killed were crazy.

Mexico had never seen a serial killer before, that topic was new to the authorities at the time made it very challenging to them to capture her.

Conclusion very good doc kept me very interested from the get go never was I drifted attention from it kept on getting more and more interested, I don't get the bad reviews this doc is better than 80% of the garbage that is shown on net !

Very interesting and well produced documentary. Although I agree that the background music can be annoying at times, this does not affect the final quality. The reproductions of the crime scenes and especially the capture of the killer were done with great finesse. Finally, I have seen other documentaries that deal with real crimes in Mexico and what stands out is the completely flawed justice system, it is not a Democratic State of Law, with respect to fundamental guarantees, which is regrettable. The duration is also a positive point, as there were no uninteresting parallel narratives, really focusing on what mattered, including in a very artistic way.

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.