Medusa on Netflix Review: A Soapy, Suspenseful Guilty Pleasure

After watching yet another American show on Netflix, I decided to switch things up and try an international series, which led me to binge Medusa (2025) over the weekend. This 12-episode drama-thriller, created by Said Chamie and Claudia Sánchez and directed by Felipe Cano and María Gamboa, blends the over-the-top emotions of a telenovela with the suspense of a thriller. The result is a mixed bag—sometimes gripping, sometimes uneven—but undeniably addictive.

The story follows Bárbara Hidalgo (Juana Acosta), a woman who survives a maritime accident only to discover it was an attempted murder. When she returns, she teams up with Detective Danger Carmelo (Manolo Cardona) to uncover the truth. The Medusa metaphor is clear: betrayed and left for dead, Bárbara comes back with a vengeance, terrifying those who thought they’d silenced her. The show’s luxurious aesthetic isn’t just for show—it underscores the opulence of a world where money and family name dictate everything. The locations and production design create a visually stunning backdrop, where every conversation feels like a strategic move in a high-stakes game. While the series is rooted in revenge, it also critiques real-world power structures, drawing clear parallels to Colombia’s elite, like the Char family, without naming them directly.

However, the fusion of telenovela and thriller elements doesn’t always work. The heightened drama and abrupt twists often clash with the slow-building tension a thriller requires, making the narrative feel inconsistent at times. Still, the plot is undeniably juicy: Bárbara, newly named CEO of her family’s empire, Medusa, survives a yacht explosion and uncovers a web of family secrets and betrayals.

Medusa is a guilty pleasure—over-the-top, dramatic, and sometimes ridiculous, but hard to stop watching. While its erotic scenes and lack of realism might not appeal to everyone, it’s perfect for those who enjoy a soapy, suspenseful escape.