Ghost town: Mariana Enriquez’s stories come alive on Netflix
Pablo Larraín’s miniseries ‘The Sad Dead’ brings together tales of ghosts, violence and social decay by Argentina’s star horror writer La entrada Ghost town: Mariana Enriquez’s stories come alive on Netflix se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald .
My Sad Dead, a new Netflix miniseries, brings Mariana Enriquez's chilling stories to life. The series is based on short stories by the renowned Argentine journalist and writer, one of the leading figures in modern horror literature. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Pablo Larraín and starring Mercedes Morán, Dolores Fonzi, Alejandra Flechner, and Carolina Alvarez, My Sad Dead premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival before arriving on Netflix on September 24.
The story follows Ema, a recently retired doctor (played by Morán) who possesses the ability to see the dead. As she grapples with her mother's death and her own unresolved issues, a neighborhood in Buenos Aires is struck by a strange phenomenon. The dead begin to manifest themselves, breaking the fragile balance between the living and the deceased.
Ema's burden, which had once been hers alone, now spreads throughout the neighborhood, with the dead making themselves present and no one able to escape the sound of their own ghosts.
Adapted by Larraín, Guillermo Calderón, Anastasia Ayazi, and Enriquez herself, My Sad Dead takes the central story from the same-titled short story. However, unlike a traditional adaptation, the series weaves together multiple stories, creating an interwoven narrative. As Larraín puts it in his director's notes, this is a reinterpretation rather than a direct adaptation.
Enriquez's work has proven to be a fertile ground for audiovisual adaptations. Last year, Argentine filmmaker Laura Casabé brought her stories to the big screen with "The Virgin of the Quarry," a film based on two short stories from Enriquez's "The Dangers of Smoking in Bed." The film was shortlisted for the Argentine Film Academy's Oscar bid.
Larraín, who gained prominence in Chile with his films "Tony Manero" and "No," made the transition to Hollywood following his Oscar nomination for "No." His previous works have ranged from personal biopics to reimaginings of historical figures, including "Jackie," "Spencer," and "Maria." In "My Sad Dead," Larraín focuses on the terrifying aspects of contemporary human and social nature, rather than the supernatural elements that inhabit Enriquez's literature.
The horror of the series emerges from the oppressive atmosphere of a place where life begins to lose its value, driven by social violence, the failure of institutions, and the gradual abandonment of certain social classes in Latin American society.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Herald's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
