Tremembé

Positives 1- Acting is excellent 2- Good use of flashbacks to recount backstories 3- Based on true events - The crimes are surreal, it is hard to believe these are true stories. Also Brazil is a very diverse country, full of extremes and paradoxes which makes it interesting to watch Negatives 1- Little suspense - Keeping a little more suspense and not disclosing all crime at first glance would be beneficial 2- Useless fillers - Is it really necessary all this lame sex scenes that add nothing to the story 3- Poor character development (specially in the present tense) - These are real people. Give us more depth into their present and past interactions, and most importantly their personalities.

Tremembe is a powerful and captivating Brazilian series that shows how much our country has grown in cinematic storytelling. Directed with great skill by Ullisses Campbell and his amazing team, the show delivers a dark and emotional look into crime and human nature that feels real and deeply moving.

Ullisses Campbell stands out as Brazil's true-crime storyteller in the same way that American audiences have come to admire someone like David Fincher (known for his remarkable work in crime and thriller narratives). Campbell's deep dive into the real-life cases, his journalistic roots and his mastery of tension and character make him our own go-to creator for gripping, fact-based crime drama.

The cast is impressive. Every actor brings depth and truth to their role, but the actress who plays Elize Matsunaga is truly unforgettable. Her performance is intense and subtle at the same time. The physical transformation, the small gestures, the emotional tension, everything feels incredibly real. She completely disappears into the character. The actors who play the Cravinhos brothers and Alexandre Nardoni are also remarkable. They manage to show the complexity and darkness of their characters without exaggeration, making everything feel authentic and believable.

The rest of the cast also shines, giving the story a strong sense of realism and emotion.

Visually and narratively, Tremembe proves that Brazil is learning how to create high quality cinematic productions. The direction, photography, and storytelling could easily compete with Hollywood true crime series. Brazil is getting really good at this, and Tremembe is proof of that.

Very fun to watch, Marina Ruy Barbosa is great as Suzane Von Richtofen.

As a Brazilian millennial, I remember them all, and the characterization is amazing.

It's a show with a lot of pop culture influence - the colors, the edit, the soundtrack and, somewhat to contrast with the crimes, it has a soft lens on the people, a very humanized one.

We see them trying to deal with the consequences, feelings and everyday problems, and then you're reminded who they are, their privileges, and the media commotion.

It's a good TV show if you're not expecting an accurate documentary.

I couldn't even finish the first episode - I turned it off with 11 minutes left. The series seems more focused on pushing certain ideologies than on portraying the crimes or life inside the prison. Instead of exploring the real context of the cases, it spends much of its time on homoaffective scenes that completely overshadow the main theme. I respect all choices and forms of expression, but the way this subject is handled makes the show feel biased and disconnected from its original purpose. For those truly interested in the crimes portrayed, I recommend watching real documentaries that approach the facts more objectively.

This is a review for all the non-Brazilian audience, like me.

Overall, it's a bad show. To sum up: shallow, cartoonish characters with weak dialogue. It somehow manages to have the worst soundtrack in history. Brazilian actors in movies or TV shows can't seem to break free from the soap opera style, the performances are exaggerated and unnatural. The writers don't help either; the dialogue is overdone in a way no real person would ever speak.

My mom is Brazilian, so I always try to watch Brazilian shows to practice my Portuguese. But it's really hard to find one that's actually good, most are like this one, superficial with bad acting.

On top of that, it highlights how the Brazilian judicial and criminal system is a bad joke. Every character portrayed in this series would still be in prison in any serious country, but in Brazil they get out quickly. Crime pays there.