The Spanish series Red Leatherette (Sky Rojo) was first released on Netflix on March 19, 2021, quickly gaining popularity. It is another project from Paper House (2017) creators Alex Pin and Esther Martinez Lobato, and therefore there is no doubt that the new series will break viewing records. The project combines rock and roll drive, grotesque violence and a melodramatic plot. The series has an 18+ restriction, and deservedly so: Red Darmatian is built on violence and cruelty, nudity and rude language. The grotesque presentation of cruelty does not seem scary, rather funny, but more on that later.
The main characters, three close friends Coral, Wendy and Gina, were played respectively by Veronica Sanchez (the most famous actress in Spain), Lali Esposito and Yani Prado, and the main antagonists were Asier Echeandia (Romeo), Miguel Angel Silvestre (Moises) and Enric Oker ( Christian).
From this point on, the article begins the story of an interesting action-packed series.
What is the series about
The crime series begins with a voice-over from Coral, who describes in detail the world of the sex trade and talks about her everyday life as an employee of one of the most popular and elite clubs in Spain. In addition to her, other prostitutes work in brothels – Wendy and Gina. All of them are literally in prison, in slavery, their freedom is completely under the control of the pimp Romeo, the owner of the brothel. Together with him, his assistant brothers, Moises and Christian, look after the club. Romeo makes the girls work for themselves for pennies, do the dirty work and indulge the desires of clients who are crazy. Initially, young girls got into this “business” for various reasons: some because of a lack of money, some through deceit, and some even wanted to hide and cover their tracks. The basis of business, its philosophy, according to Romeo, is forced prostitution. In his hands are important documents, the passports of the girls, so it is not at all surprising that they are unable to get out of the “paws of the monster” and gain the long-awaited freedom.
The main plot unfolds after one significant situation that turned the lives of girls 180 degrees. Late at night, one of the main characters, Gina, decides to run away, having previously accumulated the required amount of money. In an attempt to take away her passport, she almost dies, incurring the wrath of the boss, and her friends come to the rescue just in time. As a result of self-defense, they inflict a strong blow on him, after which they flee the scene. Trying to escape, the trio commit another murder and are now forced to hide. From this moment begins a long journey of girls, full of obstacles and losses.
Special attention should be paid to the visual and installation. Showrunner Alex Pina was inspired by the work of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, which can be seen from the first seconds of the beginning of the series: desert landscapes, the predominance of yellow-orange flowers, a long road, on the side of which there is a club with characteristic neon inserts and inscriptions. This all creates a special atmosphere, and throughout the series, you can see that the narrative line somehow returns to this place, even if the heroines are far outside of this region. In pursuit of the runaway girls, the henchmen of the club owner, Moises and Christian, came out. They are instructed to get and return the girls at all costs.
The plot in the series quickly gains momentum and becomes dynamic and developing. Literally in every episode there is action, and it is enhanced due to the relatively short duration of the episodes (from 23 to 32 minutes). Already in the second series, the girls manage to find a safe place, in their opinion, where they can stop for shelter. All this time, they were hunted down by the IP of the mobile phone of one of the girls, creating a great threat. Very soon they will be on the run again.
In fact, the entire first season is full of chases and shootouts. Many times Moises and Christian managed to “step on the heels” of the runaways, but the dodgy girls over and over again came up with an escape plan and escaped with their last strength, relying on each other’s support. Over the course of 8 episodes of the first season, the past of each of the girls and their unexpected secrets are revealed to the viewer. This begs the question: what happens next? Are girls going to hide all their lives?
The second season opens with Coral’s rather fearless act: she decides to go back to the brothel, right into the predator’s lair, to take her friends’ passports. As expected, she was not allowed to do this calmly – she was trapped. Meanwhile, Gina and Wendy are left to look for a new place to hide and find a doctor along the way. For temporary residence, they found a wooden hut, where they decide to call Coral and find out about her condition. Instead, they hear serious threats over the phone. The girls do not stop trying to come up with a reliable plan for Romeo’s revenge.
The second season differs from the first in that it keeps viewers on even more suspense. The constant persecution and dangerous troubles that the main characters get into do not allow them to breathe calmly, and questions are visited more and more often. The most important of them – will the girls still be able to avoid the conflict and somehow take revenge on Romeo? While watching the series, a person involuntarily analyzes the situation unfolding before his eyes, evaluates it, and works out his possible scenario. The ability to experience difficult moments with the characters is the main indicator that a series or film is really worth watching.
What is the meaning of the series
The creators strive to reveal the topic of human trafficking and sexual slavery most of all – this is the basis of the series. Viewers are shown all the difficulties of life in such circumstances, they tell about what girls have to go through when they are forcibly drawn into the field of sex services. The showrunners also emphasize the peculiar “aesthetics” of clubs and brothels, showing a beautiful “wrapper” and what vile things are hidden behind it. The scriptwriters, on the one hand, try to sympathize with the girls, showing their difficult fate, and on the other hand, they present the plot with a slight spark, fun, in order to keep people’s interest in check. Over time, they become curious about what the denouement will lead to, and after that it becomes impossible to break away from the series. It is also noteworthy that the heroines retain their stereotypical behavior,
Conclusion
Season 3, which has not yet been released, promises to be eventful, full of unexpected twists and reveals even more secrets. The audience expects from him all the same dynamism, a touch of comedy and at the same time a sense of doom and danger. This race to the bottom draws you in, makes you find out everything to the smallest detail and draw your own conclusions. The second season ends right at the climax, before the decisive “battle” of the warring parties. This is a fight for justice and freedom. Nobody is going to give up.
