It offered an interesting perspective on the characters inflicting pain. It would have been simple to depict them as purely malicious figures enjoying cruelty. I appreciated that the writing suggested what might have driven them, occasionally in very understated ways. Like the man who harbored feelings for her and faced rejection before she was imprisoned, then later became complicit in her suffering. Or Paula, who was pregnant and seemed to displace her own problems onto Sylvia, desiring to define her as a sex worker. And Gertrudes herself, an older woman who appeared unattractive and likely felt jealous of Sylvia. These potential reasons were presented without prompting us to feel resentment toward them.

Source on TMDB