Episode Guide
Episode 1 – | Review Score – 4/5 Episode 2 – | Review Score – 4/5 Episode 3 – | Review Score – 4/5 Episode 4 – | Review Score – 4/5 Episode 5 – | Review Score – 4/5 Episode 6 – | Review Score – 4.5/5 Episode 7 – | Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 8 – | Review Score – 4/5 What do you get when you mix Euphoria, Killing Eve and La Casa De Papel? Probably something close to Netflix’s latest intoxicating thriller. Created by Alex Pina, the brainchild behind La Casa De Papel, Sky Rojo is an exciting, dramatic and absolutely thrilling series. It’s an artistic and vibrant show, one that balances out its rich world with some surprisingly deep characters. Set on the sunny isle of Tenerife, Sky Rojo dives deep into the shadowy world of pimps and hookers. Specifically, we center on three girls who work at Las Novias Club. After a slick montage to start us off, the girls quickly find themselves in over their heads after a nasty accident involving their pimp, Romeo. On the run and fighting to escape their indebted lives, Gina, Wendy and Coral wrestle with the mental trauma that comes with their work whilst evading their captors. It’s a simple set-up in truth but one that works incredibly well by weaving in a really unique tone. There’s a lot of poignant, hard-hitting material here but equally some dark humour and incredulous scenarios. Much like Killing Eve, the tone here never slips into one or the other, instead confidently walking the tightrope in the middle. At the same time, the show never loses sight of its female empowerment themes, which remain front and center in this show. Peppered in alongside the main plot are a number of flashback sequences too, which help to give some depth to the different characters. Each of these character-driven chapters allow Coral, Gina and Wendy turns in the spotlight, showing exactly what’s brought them to this line of work. There’s some pretty graphic and violent imagery here though but it never feels distasteful. Instead, this feeds into the larger picture of the series and remains an important part of the story being told. In fact, this empowering story does a great job humanizing all of its characters, including the male counterparts who all have some quirky tropes and traits. Christian and Moises, the dysfunctional duo of henchmen chasing the girls, remain the focal point here and their ties to the girls run much deeper than one may expect. Likewise, pimp Romeo – despite being a megalomaniacal and egotistical drug addict, actually has some humanizing elements too – namely a soft spot for one of the girls. Visually, Sky Rojo looks fantastic and there’s some really slick camera work and editing. From split screen shots and slow-mo club scenes, the show backs all of this up with a vibrant and distinct colour palette. Each of the girls are colorfully dressed, while the contrasting hedonistic colours inside the club work beautifully against the dry and barren greens and yellows of the world outside. All of this dazzling artistry would be for nothing if the show didn’t have some underlying themes, and Sky Rojo has that in abundance. The harsh and unflinching look at the world of hookers is handled with care. Each of the central trio also come with a fair amount of emotional baggage too. These eccentric women aren’t just badasses for the sake of it – they’re battle-worn and hold the scars of their past conflicts to heart. This ultimately binds the women together while giving them an incentive to push forward and change their fortune. With a second season already greenlit and the story ending on a cliffhanger, there’s plenty left in the bag for this pacey thriller. That’s a good thing too because based on this showing, Sky Rojo has a promising future ahead of it. Well written and incredibly enjoyable, Netflix’s latest thriller is a sure-fire winner.
