Common Sense Media Review
By Weiting Liu
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, sexual exploitation in dark female prison drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
In the Mud
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In IN THE MUD, when a prison transport van crashes into a river, Gladys Guerra (Ana Garibaldi) and several other women survive and are transferred to La Quebrada, a notorious women's prison. Inside, they face constant threats from guards, administrators, and fellow inmates, where corruption and brutality rule every corner. Gladys, known as "La Borges," must rely on strategy, negotiation, and fragile alliances to navigate a world dominated by exploitation, violence, and systemic abuse––a place where every choice could mean either punishment or survival.
Is It Any Good?
This gritty prison drama doesn't flinch from depicting some of the hardest truths about incarceration, including the sexual exploitation of women by criminal networks and authority figures alike. While deeply uncomfortable to watch, In the Mud's dark focus has value: These abuses exist in the real prison systems, and the right audience will appreciate the series' refusal to gloss over them. Viewers should not expect the more soapy, darkly comic tones of Orange Is the New Black; instead, this show offers something far crueler, rooted in a distinctly Latin American context.
Much respect is due to the cast for taking on material this bleak––the actors bringing depth to anti-heroines or even outright villains. That said, realism doesn't automatically make for excellent television. While the rough, raw texture of the series fits its tone, the production quality can feel uneven, and the craft occasionally falters. For viewers seeking an unrelenting portrait of tough, layered women surviving in brutal conditions, In the Mud delivers; just don't expect polish or catharsis along the way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about In the Mud's setting in an Argentinian women's prison. How does this specific setting reshape familiar prison-drama tropes? What are the meanings of depicting prison subjects on screen?
In portraying women who are survivors, anti-heroines, or even villains, does the series succeed in humanizing them, or does it reinforce negative opinions about incarcerated women? What are other ways to view them?
What does the show's bleakness ask of its audience? Do depictions of cruelty ultimately make the story more powerful or simply overwhelming?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 14, 2025
- Cast : Ana Garibaldi
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : August 26, 2025
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