The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo – Netflix Review (4/5)

THE THREE DEATHS OF MARISELA ESCOBEDO is a new Netflix true-crime documentary that should leave you feeling very angry. Within the first hour of the documentary, you should be shocked. An extremely important story. Read our The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo review here!​

THE THREE DEATHS OF MARISELA ESCOBEDO is a new Netflix true-crime documentary about gross injustice. And this isn’t an old story, which only makes it feel even more grotesque. This is a Mexican documentary (org. title Las tres muertes de Marisela Escobedo), but the story feels universal.

And yet, the main issue is clearly that there is no justice to be found in Mexico. Especially for women.

Continue reading our The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo review below and check it out on Netflix.

Femicide in Mexico

The main topic in this Netflix true-crime documentary is femicide and abuse of power which results in injustice. A woman can be killed and a man can admit that he did it and still walk free. Not much is done to serve any kind of justice and it angers me to no end.

My only issue with this documentary is the fact that the storytelling is a bit muddied along the way. I wish it had been even tighter and more direct in some ways, but I definitely also acknowledge that there is a lot to cover. And that in itself is absolutely mindboggling!

While this plays out in Mexico and I absolutely acknowledge the grotesque levels of injustice there, I know this happens worldwide. Some countries are worse than others when it comes to punishing femicide [killings of women or girls] but all countries suffer from far too many cases of women being killed without anyone punished for it. 

Admit to murder and be acquitted

Within the first hour of this documentary (that has a runtime of 1 hour and 49 minutes), you’ll experience the first huge punch to your gut. A man admits to killing a woman. The case is tried in court and I fully expected him to receive some sort of mild sentence. Instead, he is acquitted.

I could not believe this. Obviously, I was not familiar with this case before watching this Netflix documentary! 

The woman, who has been murdered, is Rubi. She’s the daughter of Marisela Escobedo who has dedicated her life to getting justice for Rubi. First, her daughter was missing, then her body was found (after the man who admitted to killing her said where her remains were buried). Then she fights for this man to actually be punished for the crime.

Watch The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo on Netflix now!

Carlos Perez Osorio is the director of The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo and has already been working with Netflix on an entirely different project. He’s the season 1 director and producer of the Netflix series Taco Chronicles. And yes, it is a food documentary about the origin of various tacos. This series is my guilty pleasure and especially season 1 was excellent.

With this true-crime Netflix documentary, I think a series format would have been better. So many facts and details are only mentioned briefly. And while I commend Carlos Perez Osorio for ensuring that this story comes out, I needed even more for it to be truly complete. It’s extremely engaging and utterly unforgettable though.

I am beyond impressed with the actions of Marisela Escobedo and the rest of her friends and family, who have all been working tirelessly for justice. I don’t know how long before they actually get it, but this true-crime story certainly doesn’t offer much hope for femicide in general. For this reason alone, I am so grateful that Netflix has released this documentary worldwide.

I highly recommend watching it. The story is too important not to be widely known.

The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo is out on Netflix from October 14, 2020.