Moria 2026 Movie Review
I went into this series genuinely interested in Moria Casán’s life, especially because I remember the period in which much of her career was developing. Unfortunately, after eight episodes, I came away feeling that I had watched a celebration of the Moria Casán persona rather than a biography of the woman behind it.
The biggest problem is the chronology. Major events and periods of her life are compressed, rearranged, and blended together in ways that make the historical timeline extremely difficult to follow. Characters appear at moments that do not seem to correspond to the actual period in which they were part of Moria’s life, while important events and people are either minimized or omitted entirely. For someone who remembers that period, the inconsistencies are particularly distracting.
More importantly, the series misses an enormous opportunity to place Moria within the social and cultural context of Argentina. The political transition from dictatorship to democracy, the impact of the AIDS crisis, the underground gay and trans scene, the Parakultural movement, and the people who surrounded Moria during those years could have given the story tremendous depth. Instead, much of that world is reduced to brief appearances or disappears altogether.
The treatment of Batato Barea is a good example. His appearance is included, but the historical and cultural context surrounding him is barely explored, including his illness and death shortly afterward. The same happens with other important figures from Moria’s life and career. Death itself is strangely absent from the story, despite the fact that many people who were important to her eventually died. Olmedo, Porcel, Castiglione, Badalá, Batato and others could have been used to show the passage of time and the losses that inevitably shaped a long career. Instead, the series seems almost afraid of allowing mortality into Moria’s mythology.
The same problem applies to the gay community. Moria’s relationship with the gay and transgender entertainment world could have been one of the most fascinating parts of the story. Instead of developing that history, the series eventually jumps to a spectacular final celebration surrounded by drag queens and gay performers. It tells us that Moria is an icon to that community without really showing us how or why that relationship developed.
Visually, the series clearly has another agenda. The recurring imagery of Moria as a “Martian,” the giant figure walking through miniature Buenos Aires, the mysterious gemstone, the spaceship and the final descent down a staircase reminiscent of Sunset Boulevard all make it clear that the creators are constructing a mythology around her. The final sequence, with Moria descending into a gay nightclub and being celebrated by drag queens, is visually striking and makes perfect sense as a tribute to the Moria persona.
But that is precisely the problem: the series explains the myth instead of explaining the woman.
There is very little emotional vulnerability. Failures, losses, addictions, illnesses and personal tragedies are either minimized, omitted or transformed into another witty Moria anecdote. Even the Paraguay prison episode, which could have been an opportunity to explore vulnerability and consequences, ultimately becomes another chapter in the construction of the Moria legend.
Griselda Siciliani is the clear standout. She captures Moria’s voice, mannerisms and physical presence remarkably well, and at times it feels as though you are actually listening to Moria. The other performances are less convincing, particularly Cecilia Roth, whose physical presence and interpretation never really made me believe I was watching Moria.
The ending, with Brujas and the final celebration of Moria’s career, is fitting as a tribute to an icon. But after eight hours, I still felt that I had learned very little about the person who became that icon.
A biopic does not have to be completely factual, and artistic liberties are perfectly legitimate. But when chronology, characters and events are altered so extensively, the story needs to give us something in return: emotional truth, historical context, psychological depth, or a new understanding of the person.
For me, it did not.
It is an impressive monument to Moria Casán the character. Unfortunately, I wanted to meet Moria Casán the human being.
