Prime Video’s new miniseries Tremembé focuses on several notorious criminals whose stories became global sensations
Prime Video has transformed some of South America’s most infamous real-life crime stories into its latest streaming sensation with Tremembé, a gripping, high-gloss drama that takes us inside the gates of Brazil’s unofficial ‘celebrity prison’.
The series revisits the cases that once dominated newspaper headlines – from Suzane von Richthofen to Elize Matsunaga – housing them under one roof and revealing how alliances, rivalries and shifting power dynamics moulded daily life within the facility.
Behind the on-screen drama, the real crimes were notorious. Von Richthofen was found guilty in 2006 for masterminding the murders of her parents, Manfred and Marísia, executed by the Cravinhos brothers in 2002.
Elize received her sentence for murdering and dismembering her husband, businessman Marcos Matsunaga, in 2012, later alleging she had been a victim of domestic abuse and sharing her side of the story in a Netflix documentary.
Alexandre Nardoni and his then-wife Anna Carolina Jatobá were convicted in 2010 for the death of six year old Isabela Nardoni, who fell from the sixth floor of the family’s flat. Among them was also Sandrão, whose long-term relationships with both Elize and Suzane made her one of the most influential inmates inside Tremembé, reports the Express.
Their intersecting lives – all serving lengthy sentences within the same prison complex – form the backbone of Prime Video’s dramatic retelling.
The calibre of acting has already featured prominently in initial critiques, with IMDb viewers singling out Marina Ruy Barbosa’s portrayal of Suzane, noting she “gives an outstanding performance… masterfully capturing her mannerisms and gestures seen in real-life interviews”.
Letícia Rodrigues’ interpretation of Sandrão was described as “truly remarkable”, whilst another critic commended the actress depicting Elize Matsunaga as “truly unforgettable… intense and subtle at the same time”, observing that the understated expressions and emotional control “feel incredibly real”.
The Cravinhos brothers and Alexandre Nardoni have also been recognised for performances characterised as “authentic and believable”, with one viewer remarking that the entire ensemble provides “a strong sense of realism and emotion”.
Viewer reaction has been equally striking. Tremembé immediately climbed to the top spot on Prime Video Brazil within its opening weekend and has swiftly established itself as one of the platform’s most significant domestic launches to date.
Exact viewing numbers haven’t been released for commercial reasons, but the streaming service has apparently informed programme makers that the series surpassed all internal expectations, according to Variety.
However, backlash emerged almost straight away. Cristian Cravinhos, sentenced for his involvement in the Richthofen killings and now freed, denounced the programme on social media, alleging numerous scenes were invented.
In the series, his character, portrayed by Kelner Macêdo, navigates a complicated relationship with his brother Daniel whilst embarking on a romance with a fellow prisoner. Following his claims that the show was “full of lies,” he faced a public challenge from journalist and author Ullisses Campbell, whose investigative work formed the basis for the scripts.
