Alice Oscura, Featured Writer
Warning: Mentions sensitive topics involving human trafficking.
Plot: Rosa (Antonella Costa) is a single mother who struggles to support her sick son as a cleaning lady. One night, she is forced to clean up a murder scene at a boxing club by a group of gangsters that belong to a drug and human trafficking ring. Rosa ends up doing her job a little too well and becomes the gangsters’ official cleaner.
Review: La Chica Que Limpia is an Argentine crime thriller series that was filmed and produced in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. The series consists of 13 episodes, each lasting just under 30 minutes. The plot is complex and intriguing as it follows the story of a cleaning lady named Rosa. Her seven-year-old son Felipe is critically ill with an immunodeficiency disorder that requires him to be kept in a sterilised environment. Because of this Rosa’s cleaning method is borderline obsessive as she meticulously scrubs and takes her time to concoct various cleaning agents of her own making.
Unfortunately, her skills capture the attention of some of the most dangerous gangsters in the city. Soon she becomes their official cleaner having to do the dirty work of cleaning up their bloody messes…literally. Now Rosa is torn between the safety of her family if she refuses to answer their calls and the hefty monetary compensations that have managed to put her even closer to the possibility of her son being cured.
Actress Antonella Costa carries the show and captivates the audience in every scene that she is in. Her character Rosa is a determined single mother who is extremely tough even though she has a lot to deal with emotionally. She is an unfortunate character that finds herself in the wrong place. But Rosa is no fool and takes full advantage of the opportunity that is presented to her despite the illegal nature and danger level.
The series doesn’t pull any punches as the story reveals the depth of the political and law enforcement corruption that intertwines with drugs and human trafficking. It shows the extent of the cover-ups, from making officers retire forcibly to destroying and falsifying records and even making key witnesses disappear. It also successfully highlights the horrific nature of human trafficking. There are women who are kidnapped are drugged and sometimes even sexually abused before being shipped to the undisclosed location of the buyer. The weaker ones are disposed of like they were mere inanimate objects or faulty commodities. The subject matter is not only thought-provoking but suspenseful so the audience will never be bored.
As a side note, the main characters are not always tolerable and that includes Rosa. There are times that they will test your patience when you witness them making questionable decisions. However, it all contributes to an extremely powerful and impactful series.
Two remakes inspired by the Argentine series are in the works and set to be released later this year. The first is La Muchacha Que Limpia coming out of Mexico which will be released on HBO, while The Cleaning Lady is the American version that will be aired on FOX.
Alice’s Score: 7 out of 10
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Dark Alice has an old soul and a curious mind. I believe that anyone can be a hero and that the good guys should always win! I dislike cruelty to animals and think that they have far superior qualities to humans. My motto is there is no future without the past. I also have a weird penchant for Paranormal TV shows even though the slightest sound makes me jump. I enjoy writing reviews and throwing in fun facts to pique the readers’ curiosity. My ultimate goal in life would be to become a published writer one day. Read More
It made no sense for her to wind up in jail. She was compelled to clean up murder scenes by organized criminals who would have killed her and her family. I cant imagine Argentine law wouldn’t take that into account. Not to mention that she did indeed go to the police, and even collected evidence for them.