Latest streaming sensation features the lives of some of South America’s most notorious criminals
Prime Video has transformed some of South America’s most infamous real-life crime stories into its latest streaming sensation with Tremembé, a gripping, polished drama that unlocks the doors of the prison known as Brazil’s unofficial ‘celebrity prison’.
The series revisits cases that once dominated newspaper headlines – from Suzane von Richthofen to Elize Matsunaga – housing them under one roof and illustrating how alliances, rivalries and shifting power dynamics moulded everyday life within the facility.
Behind the drama, the actual 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 a sentence for murdering and dismembering her husband, businessman Marcos Matsunaga, in 2012, later alleging she had endured domestic abuse and discussing her account of events 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 taken centre stage in early critiques, with IMDb users 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 has been described as “truly remarkable”, whilst another reviewer commended the actress depicting Elize Matsunaga as “truly unforgettable… intense and subtle at the same time”, observing that the understated gestures and emotional control “feel incredibly real”.
The Cravinhos brothers and Alexandre Nardoni have also earned praise for performances characterised as “authentic and believable”, with one viewer remarking that the ensemble cast conveys “a strong sense of realism and emotion”.
Viewer reaction has proved equally striking. Tremembé rocketed to the top spot on Prime Video Brazil within its opening weekend and has already emerged 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 reportedly told producers the series surpassed all internal forecasts, according to Variety.
However, backlash emerged almost straight away. Cristian Cravinhos, found guilty for his involvement in the Richthofen killings and now free, took to social media to slam the production, alleging numerous scenes were invented.
In the series, his character, portrayed by Kelner Macêdo, is depicted managing a complicated relationship with his brother Daniel whilst beginning a romantic involvement with a fellow inmate. Following his description of the show as “full of lies,” he faced public criticism from journalist and author Ullisses Campbell, whose investigative work formed the basis for the scripts.
