Les Nouveaux Bandits

Available at Amazon Prime.

Cangaço Novo (New Bandits) is a brazilian streaming show that follows the protagonist Ubaldo Vaqueiro in his descend to the criminal world to pay for his father medical bills. After discovering that he has an extended family far away he chases this chance of easy inheritance money but finds himself following the footsteps of his birth father into a world he was not familiarized.

The cast is perfectly selected and there isn't really any weak point in this regard. The main cast (Ubaldo, Dinorah, Dilvânia, Sabiá) is very solid. Ubaldo shows his turn into a criminal with subtlety. While Dinorah is a force of nature in her way of living instinctively and violently always, and contrasting with Dilvânia in her sweetness and caring nature.

The cinematography and production design at real locations give the show the roughness looks it needs to sell all the hardlife these people has to go through and why many chooses the path of criminality.

The show adopts a naturalistic editing style with some exceptions like an hallucination sequence that features some historic figures from brazilian history (for non-brazilians the scene might seem random and confusing). The show also chooses to start the episodes with flashbacks to slowly fill in the viewer about an important event from the protagonist's past.

There is a lot of violence shown (shots, runnovers, etc) that is necessary for the type of story that is being told. There is very mild and quick nudity scenes shown, some for comedy purposes other than in sex scenes.

The show has a proper ending, differing from the usual cliffhanger season endings many shows use. Not saying the ending doesn't have misteries to be discussed, but it is a proper ending.

I am a big fan of Brazilian productions like "City of God" or series like "The Mechanism", so consequently I've watched this one without knowing anything about this product. I recommend to not read anything about it to enjoy it the most.

First, the series starts super strong. Best I have watched in a long time. Great cast, amazing production, no cheap CGI and enough blood for fans like me that love series like Gomorrah, Zero Zero Zero or as mention before great Brazilian productions like Tropa De Elite.

Second, the script is great for the first 3/4 of the series but suddenly it becomes super predictable if you have watched similar series. I mean anything is perfect so I understand you get out of ideas and you take this from here and something from there, that is obviously done before.

So, overall the experience is excellent and I'm going to watch season 2. This series is on the way of becoming a masterpiece or get out of ideas and become just another one.

Booooooy...

You gotta see it!

This is too much fuderoso !

New Bandits was born a classic and is easy my favorite TV Show from a looooong time!

It captures Northeastern Brazilian culture in such a fluid way that even someone from anywhere in the world would feel like one of those galados there!

Also the picture and the plot is very well built showing some cultural elements very present in parts of the world where the figure of a savior is needed, which is the case most every region in Brazil, but very specially in the backlands of northeast region of the country.

I NEED more seasons!

Start filming it RIGHT NOW, boes! Oxe! Avia!

.wonderful production and plot, excellent actors. Realistic and immersive scenarios. Outstanding characters. It emphasizes the culture of the Brazilian Northeast, rescuing history. Exciting from start to finish, a milestone for Brazilian audiovisual.

Wonderful production and plot, excellent actors. Realistic and immersive scenarios. Outstanding characters. It emphasizes the culture of the Brazilian Northeast, rescuing history. Exciting from start to finish, a milestone for Brazilian audiovisual.

Wonderful production and plot, excellent actors. Realistic and immersive scenarios. Outstanding characters. It emphasizes the culture of the Brazilian Northeast, rescuing history. Exciting from start to finish, a milestone for Brazilian audiovisual.

SEASON 1 (4/5)

A great Brazilian show that doesn't shy to be unfair and crude about its depiction of corruption and criminalization. It's a grounded story with some exciting heists and gunfights but the message is clear, nobody wins here when there is no fairness. Some situations are very frustrating as the antagonists can be loud, and immature, and still have a win.

It can be confusing sometimes to follow the characters since despite being clearly there to steal money, take advantage of vulnerable people, and kill anyone who prevents them they are also there to save their city and protect the poor population from corrupt politics. It's not a swift change but seeing the gangsters playing the "good guys" after doing some atrocities at the beginning is maybe too much.