‘In the Mud’ (2025) Netflix Series Review - Porn, Pain, And Prison

There's a particular kind of Netflix show that appears to be about something, with characters who always seem to be in a state of urgency — yet it all comes across as little more than background noise. These shows, with their eight long episodes, look important and pass your time, but they also prove to be utterly forgettable and frustrating. In the Mud/En el barro is one of those Netflix series. On the surface, it appears to be talking about weighty issues concerning women and their bodies. However, nothing truly captures your attention or makes you sit up in your seat. This crime drama, created by Sebastian Ortega, takes you inside La Quebrada and exposes the rot festering within the walls of this prison. The facility is under the control of three women: The Lefty (Lorena Vega), Maria (Cecilia Rossetto), and Cecilia (Rita Cortese). Lefty and Maria are the heads of their respective gangs in the prison. The former runs a pornography/prostitution ring, while the latter...well, she demands financial contributions from Lefty and stirs up trouble. Cecilia, however, is the woman who runs the prison, and in the "power ladder," she occupies the higher position. But even this statement comes with an asterisk, since Cecilia holds power only inside the prison, and her authority is on shaky grounds due to Sergio Antin (Gerardo Romano). When he gets a whiff of Cecilia's illegal activities involving adoption, he decides to take her down from her position. Cecilia, though, is a fascinating, complex villain. Sure, what she does with all those mothers doesn't sit well with the audience, but she also sends the children to better families, better places. The alternative — the government sending kids to some facility — doesn't sound very attractive, to be honest.

Cecilia receives help from the sole doctor at the prison, Soriano (Marcelo Subiotto). You bet he misuses his power, his resources to sexually assault female patients (he drugs a patient and rapes her). Most women like to say, "All men are dogs." Some even prefer describing them as pigs. Most men in In the Mud are dogs and pigs (most, not all of them). A guard tries to sexually abuse Marina (Valentina Zenere) and assaults Lefty in the bathroom. Despite having a wife and a kid, Alan (Martín Rodríguez) has sex with Marina, but it's a little tricky to place him in a black and white box. That's because we are unsure whether he actually loves his family or not. Does he see Marina as a prisoner-with-benefit, or is some part of him a little serious about her? Don't look for answers in the first season, and you don't care about anything anyway after a few hours. The reason is pretty simple: In the Mud has no storytelling sense. Everything resembles chaos in the worst possible way, thanks to a filmmaking style that makes one feel as if they're listening to a jumble of different conversations. While watching In the Mud, you just passively listen to the dialogues, so that the next scene (and the one after that, and so on) makes sense. You feel as if you are doing a chore, not enjoying a work of fiction. There is a message here about prisoners' exploitation and their inhuman treatment by others, as well as their cellmates (a politician decides to adopt someone's daughter without caring much about the permission of the parent). Still, these aspects are better when you think about them. As elements of a story, they fail to excite or capture your attention. In the Mud doesn't quite sink into the mud, but it doesn't earn any laurels either.

Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times