Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
It’s Not Easy Money
You Have a Debt to Pay
Tears of Blood
Kenni Left Evidence
Back in Roman times, the public opinion of two professions were regarded at the same level as criminals. Those jobs? Prostitution and acting. While the latter has risen in stature to becoming revered across the world, ladies of the night most certainly have not. However, society’s perception of escorting only extends to surface level scoffing, not to the true extent of what goes into this profession – and how psychologically damaging it can be.
Reports have been published in the past over the psychological impact of being an escort, with some women reporting PTSD levels the same as war veterans. All of this leads us nicely along to Netflix’s shocking true-crime documentary series, Caught in the Web: The Murders Behind Zona Divas.
Set deep in the heart of Mexico City, where corruption is rife, this 4-part documentary dives into the Zonas Divas website, how it traps young women with promises of a better life, along with chronicling the abuse some of the individuals suffered. One in particular, Kenni Finol, is the centrepiece of this horrific tale, and also the poster-child for the Zonas Divas website, given she was front and center before her tragic death.
The episodes work well in tandem, with the first exploring the idea of escorting and its negative implications, before the second dives into the origins of the website and those behind it. Episode 3 tightens the screw as we see some of the women – including Kenni – suffered from horrific abuse and endured death threats. Episode 4 closes this out with an examination into Kenni’s femicide, and the landscape of escorting in Mexico – and the men responsible for all of this.
Specifically, the film looks at the background surrounding Ignacio Antonio “El Soni” and those within the Union Tepito cartel, including their ties with the police and the general landscape of crime across Mexico City. There’s an awful lot going on here, and Caught in the Web does not miss a beat!
There are some genuinely shocking moments too, with one in particular showing Kenni’s home videos, with a facetime account of all her injuries. Hearing about this in detail is easily one of the more difficult parts of the documentary to sit through. Similarly, in episode 1 we hear about a strange client that demanded his girl strip down and then proceed to just stare at her for an entire hour.
The series uses a combination of archival footage and re-enactments to keep things engaging, while the talking head interviews with family members, like Kenni’s sister and mother, help to give a more concrete view of what it was like for them to be around the escorting business.
Netflix have an array of true crime offerings on the platform but this one’s definitely one of the better ones. The editing is slick, the four episodes are perfectly balanced, and the story is shocking and only grows crazier the more you get tangled in the web of deceit and lies. If you’re looking for your next true crime binge, Caught in the Web should absolutely be on your watch-list.
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Verdict - 9/10
9/10