Netflix’s new Mexican production, Unspeakable Sins, arrived quietly, yet within just a few days it claimed a spot among the top-viewed titles in more than ten countries. A calculated mix of Latin melodrama, explicit eroticism, and soap opera-style twists, wrapped in a polished aesthetic and paced like a thriller.
Plot: between boldness and cliché
The story follows Helena (Zuria Vega), a woman trapped in a suffocating marriage to Claudio (Erik Hayser), a controlling and abusive businessman. The arrival of Iván (Andrés Baida), a high-end escort, sparks a forbidden romance, a mysterious disappearance, and a rapidly escalating game of lies. Leticia López Margalli’s script succeeds in maintaining constant tension, though it occasionally leans on predictable devices, infidelity as the main narrative engine, secrets revealed at precisely the right moment, and villains verging on caricature. Even so, the series keeps viewers hooked through its skillful balance of intimate moments and explosive drama.
Global impact
Its international reach is undeniable. The production capitalizes on Netflix’s expansion beyond traditional markets, speaking to an audience accustomed to consuming soap operas yet craving bolder stories. The setting, a Mexico of luxury and corruption, also helps universalize the narrative. Viewers anywhere in the world can recognize both the allure and the repulsion of this type of elite.
Performances: the weight of the cast
Zuria Vega crafts an ambiguous protagonist: fragile yet calculating, both victim and accomplice. Her Helena is convincing precisely because she’s not entirely likable, and the actress transitions seamlessly between vulnerability and cold resolve.
Andrés Baida delivers a more human take on Iván than the “dangerous lover” archetype would suggest, generating chemistry with Vega and preventing his character from becoming a mere stereotype.
Erik Hayser, as Claudio, is an effective villain, perhaps too much so. His performance is so overtly manipulative that it leaves little room for nuance.
The supporting cast, with names like Ana Sofía Gatica, Eugenio Siller, and Ale Lazcano, serves well to sustain subplots and flesh out the story’s universe, though some characters function more as plot devices than fully realized figures.
Aesthetic and direction
The direction favors clean framing, calculated lighting, and the strategic use of close-ups to heighten sexual and psychological tension. Some sequences border on music video territory, visually striking, yet somewhat artificial. This works to preserve the aura of decadent glamour, though it may alienate viewers seeking greater realism.
Strengths and weaknesses
The greatest strength of Unspeakable Sins is its pacing, it’s nearly impossible to watch just one episode without rolling into the next. Its Achilles’ heel, however, lies in the predictability of certain arcs, which may leave more demanding viewers with a sense of déjà vu.
Unspeakable Sins doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it knows how to work its elements into an addictive package. It’s the kind of series that wins over audiences with its aesthetic, hooks them with suspense, and, despite occasional excesses, manages to stand out on the global stage. Those looking for deep psychological exploration may be disappointed; those in search of intense drama, twists, and a touch of spice will likely be unable to resist.
The Latin Cut
by Alejandra Pavo
"Unspeakable Sins" - 4,5 ⭐️
Our Highlight - Cast
Zuria Vega
Eugenio Siller
Ana Sofía Gatica
Manuel Masalva
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