Griselda

What’s it about?

A devoted mother, a savvy businesswoman and the leader of one of the most profitable cartels in history, Griselda chronicles the real life of a Columbian drug lord. The miniseries focuses on her journey from Medellín to becoming “the Godmother”, “La Madrina”, “The Black Widow” and “La Dama de la Mafia” of the Miami drug empire.

“The only man I was ever afraid of was a woman named Griselda Blanco.” – Pablo Escobar

The facts

• Directed by Andrés Baiz
• English and Spanish languages
• Runtime: Six episodes, approximately 59 minutes each
• Griselda is a biographical crime drama based on Griselda Blanco’s real-life as a notorious Columbian drug lord

Why did it get this rating?

This film was self-rated by Netflix. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Drug use

The miniseries is about a drug cartel who smuggles cocaine. Characters are shown tasting and snorting the cocaine. While the consequences of direct drug-taking are not shown, the life of a drug lord is not glamorised and appears extremely dangerous and scary.

Graphic violence and cruelty

Griselda Blanco is known to have been very brutal in real-life. Violence is graphic, and includes physical altercations, stabbings, gun violence and strangulation. Characters are shown sawing off victims’ heads and there is violence against women. Injuries are shown in detail, including decapitated bodies, and sometimes children are present and get caught up in the violence. A character forces a man to strip naked, go on all fours and start barking like a dog.

Sexual violence

A woman is organised and forced by her husband to pay off his debt by sleeping with someone else. Nothing is shown on screen, but it is clear she is very upset about this deal.

A character forces a man and a woman to strip and start having sex in a room full of people.

Sex scenes

Sex work and sex trafficking are major themes in the series. Women are shown topless and sex acts are implied. There in non-sexualised nudity, including when a woman removes her bra that are lined with cocaine.

Two characters engage in phone sex. A female makes sexualised noises and has her hand down her skirt. It is clear what she is doing.

Offensive language

Offensive language is used throughout including “f*ck”, “sh*t”, “a**hole” and their Spanish equivalents.

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Go Inside the True Story of Ruthless Cartel Leader Griselda Blanco - Netflix