DNA do Crime

I watched this series as a way to practice my Portugues as I am learning the language. I am not even a big fan of crime series but this one is really excellent and I ended up binge watching it much faster than I thought. The story is actually good, the acting is spot on and for us non Brazilians the photography and the locations are spectacular. Reading the reviews you will find that -surprisingly enough- the most negative are from Brazilians: don't trust them! Our Brazilian friends tend to be too self deprecating, this series is excellent and absolutely on par with good American or European productions. Amigos Brasileiros, sejam orgulhosos e parem com o complexo de vira-lata, porra!

As a Brazilian, I grow up with the stigma that very few things produced on Brazil were actually good. Maybe, around the 2000's, it was true, but nowadays, Brazilian productions are so good they might compete with other international production. The characters are deep, the story is magnetic and the overall production is similar to the experience of watching a movie. If there's a flaw to me, is the fact that somethings are over explained, but maybe, it's because I'm already too familiar with those topics lol. Overall, I highly recommend this show to everybody that wants a show full of action, a simple - but well executed - plot and enough touch of violence.

First of all, for foreigners, know that the actions in the series are actually quite common in the lives of Brazilians. Our country is huge and crime prevails. A few years ago this new modality emerged in which on a "random" day criminals, drug dealers, corrupt police officers and heavily armed mercenaries invade a city and completely dominate it. There is no chance of resistance, civilians are tied to vehicles, police officers are executed, the entire city is closed. I say this because, looking from the outside, it may seem like a fantasy, but the reality is much worse than what is shown in the series.

The series is set in a region on the border between Paraguay and Brazil, an area with a high crime rate. Although not explicitly advertised as based on a true story, the core theme of bank heists involving professionals with high-caliber weapons is a reality in Brazil, as seen in the recent case in the city of Criciúma. With a good cast from the main part, it serves as an action series and provides a glimpse into the complex situations at the borders of Latin America.

The actors in the main group are good, and the use of individuals who actually live within the favelas for the secondary characters despite a mediocre performance, is immersed in a familiar environment amid funk parties and the slang used.

I sincerely cannot understand the bad reviews of this series.

While it isn't the best series I've seen, it's definitely not the worst. I find it very fast paced, with a different plot than other gang movies/series and very nice to watch.

It's what one would expect form a Jason Statham movie - maybe with more credible happenings. Both the police and the villains have great ideas and aces up their sleeves.

The acting is okay, the effects also. Just give it a try if you're looking for this kind of series/movies. Now I need to start looking for similar titles. Hopefully I find something as good at this :)