Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Soapy, mature modern telenovela has a darkly funny twist.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
La Casa de las Flores
What's the Story?
LA CASA DE LAS FLORES is a Spanish-language telenovela focusing on the dark and twisty, drama-laden lives of the De La Mora clan, a family of well-heeled florists living large in Mexico City. The De La Moras are desperate to keep up a false front as the "perfect family" after the ill-timed suicide of the patriarch's mistress threatens to expose all their dirty secrets. (Note: The show is also listed under its English name on Netflix: THE HOUSE OF FLOWERS.)
Is It Any Good?
The show is billed as a "dramedy" -- but while there's an air of winking humor to it, audiences shouldn't expect a slapstick, laugh-out-loud kind of deal. La Casa de las Flores kicks off its pilot episode with a suicide, that of the patriarch's longtime secret mistress (who also narrates the show from beyond the grave, Desperate Housewives-style). The family stumbles upon the body hanging inside their hugely popular flower shop while the father's crowded, paparazzi-laden birthday party is in full swing. This kicks off a series of events that put the entire family at risk of having their secrets exposed, from sex tapes being leaked to illegitimate children being discovered. At the center of it all is a furious matriarch (longtime telenovela fixture Verónica Castro) determined to keep up appearances.
One way the show breathes a bit of life into the genre is with its treatment of social issues. You may not expect a telenovela to be "woke," but the show's treatment of race (daughter Elena is freaked out about telling her old-fashioned family about her engagement to her African American, English-speaking boyfriend) and LGBTQ issues (son Julián struggles with his sexuality) is a welcome inclusion. Couple these modern updates with the addictive quality of a classic soap, and it makes for a fun, not-so-guilty pleasure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about secrets. Do you think the members of the De La Mora family have a lot of secrets? What are the consequences they have on their lives?
Are La Casa de las Flores' characters positive or negative role models? Is the way these family members treat one another realistic?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 10, 2018
- Cast : Cecilia Suárez , Aislinn Derbez , Lucas Velazquez , Verónica Castro
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 7, 2022
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