Sky Rojo

I expected more from the creators of Money Heist. Sky Rojo boasts a somewhat crazy but innovative plot about three women escaping from pimps, which is a unique angle. However, the short series doesn’t offer much in terms of surprising storytelling; the characters’ actions are sometimes confusing and silly. Sure, one should approach it with a degree of leniency, but I still expected a somewhat more sophisticated experience. The characters are quite likable, but the main antagonist didn’t convince me much; at times, he was overacting to the point of causing eye strain. What might compel me to watch the second season is the high-quality visuals of Tenerife (the Spanish always know how to present it with a good dose of grace) and the solid soundtrack, which throws one great song after another at you (which I appreciate). We'll see what the second season brings. For now, it’s 6/10. (04/19/2021)

La Casa de Putas! A three hour male erection and a ride like hell! The creators of Money Heist swapped the bank and the robbers for a brothel and hookers and it's excellent – though nothing for feminists as the women here are only prostitutes and the men are pimps, so they'll find plenty to dislike, but for me it’s proper guilty pleasure. At times the series reminded me of the 1970s rape and revenge films from Spain with the occasional wink to Grindhouse, and it's safe to say that it portrays a certain exploitation of women in its dirtiest form. The story itself is simple, three hookers escape the clutches of their pimp and he sends his goons to catch them, but the script is of a very high standard. The dialogues are awesome, if you were fascinated by the dialogue in Money Heist, you'll enjoy it here too. There are detailed analysis of the lives of prostitutes at their worst, loads of interesting information that I had to get a piece of paper and write out some of the lines, yes I was that fascinated, and the main character of the pimp takes the best of Berlin in terms of performances and wisecracks. I spotted a few easter eggs on Money Heist while watching and the director's signature is simply evident. The intensity, the build-up, the tension, the music (after the series ended, my playlist grew by another 20 titles), the visuals, the style, the panache, the attention to detail, the nerve-wracking cliffhangers, and of course the gorgeous Spanish-Argentine prostitutes, who are simply impossible to get enough of. Thanks to the short episodes, the whole thing goes by very quickly, and by the end of it I just said to myself. I want more and that's the only reason I don't give it full marks, three hours wasn't enough. 8.5/10. !! (03/21/2021)