Diablero
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Language, supernatural visuals in enjoyably bloody series.
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Diablero
Community Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Amazing show
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The suspense and the funny details
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What's the Story?
Mexico City used to be in balance: an angel for every one of the devils walking among the humans. But after the angels deserted the earth, there's only the DIABLERO left to keep the demons from taking over. Elvis (Horacio Garcia Rojas) is one of the few who can overpower and capture these demons, delivering their souls to the menacing El Indio (Humberto Busto) to pay a debt. But when the tormented Father Ramiro Ventura (Christopher Von Uckermann) learns his daughter Mariana (Cali DiCapo) has been abducted by devilish forces, it's up to Elvis to bring her back home, cancel out his debt to El Indio, and restore some order to the spiritual world of Mexico City.
Is It Any Good?
This Mexican fantasy series seems to be reaching for Stranger Things territory with its dark and otherworldly storyline, but it's too deliriously bonkers to be taken as seriously. Here are just a few things that exist in the same place and time in Diablero's world: vengeful demons who can possess any human at any time but whose essence can be captured in a soda bottle, a "demon appraiser" in a rough part of town that tests the quality of imprisoned devils by injecting the evil potion into dead animals, and an organized fight club in which participants allow themselves to be possessed for the duration of the battle, just for kicks. Whew! And we haven't even gotten to the part about the Upside-Down-like chasm underneath the church, where dark forces are holding a (Eleven-like) young girl for mysterious reasons.
It's goofy and kinda dumb, but it's fun anyway, particularly for viewers who will relish the slanted bits and pieces of Mexican culture that slips through the supernatural goings on. When two fellas meet to talk over a personal problem, they watch soccer and sip tequila; ranchera music, not hip hop, is the background at a tough-guy party scene; Elvis hangs out at a pulqueria (which serves an ancient Mexican booze known as pulque), not a bar. The characters are weird and interesting too, including plenty of intriguing women: two menacing female bruisers who operate as muscle for their gangster dad, the searingly cranky partner of the demon appraiser, the by-turns scary and sympathetic Nancy. This show may be a guilty pleasure, but it's a pleasure nonetheless.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Diablero's bloody injuries and frequent on-screen deaths. Why do some dramas show blood and guts? Is it entertaining for the viewer? For you? What's the impact of media violence on kids? Would the level of violence make you uncomfortable about watching with a young friend or relative? Your mom? Your grandmother?
How does this show's setting in Mexico City affect the characters and action? How would it be different if it were set in a small American town? A European city? A rural location? How does this show communicate this sense of place?
TV Details
- Premiere date: December 21, 2018
- Cast: Cali DiCapo, Jason Her, Quetzalli Cortés
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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