Habeas Corpus Review: Although we almost always see the bad guys getting sent to prison by the end, Netflix’s Brazilian legal drama starts with a wrongful conviction, a lawyer getting shot in the courtroom and a student joining a class to free her imprisoned mother. Safe to say, there’s plenty of drama to sift through in this 8-episode thriller that knows that legal jargon is often not enough to keep viewers hooked. With a ton of melodrama and twists and turns, this Netflix series will leave viewers hooked for the most part, as we are asked to wait with bated breath to learn whether or not Marina’s mother gets released and what happens to Jonathan.
The cast includes Marjorie Estiano, Any Gabrielly, Danton Mello, Marisa Orth, Naruna Costa, Natália Lage, Vladimir Brichta, Felipe Ricca, Hypólito, and Luiza Gabus Mendes, and the series is directed by Luiz Villaça and Flávia Lacerda. The series is based on real-life cases by Innocence Project Brazil.
Habeas Corpus Review
A Legal Case That Quickly Becomes Personal
At the heart of Netflix’s Habeas Corpus is a delicate balance between legal proceedings and heightened emotions as we see Inez and her students put their heads together to prove that the legal proceedings in an old case are corrupt. Unearthing evidence that slowly piles up and doubts that plague them, the series showcases the grit and determination it takes to go up against the system and take justice into your own hands.
In the midst of the complication is Marina, a brilliant student whose intuition is impeccable. However, there’s more to her character than meets the eye, and we soon see a terrifying reality that she, too, has to live with. With a ton of complex situations arising thanks to misuse of the law and greed, the series showcases how a group dedicated to following the truth can break any case open, regardless of how impossible it might seem.
While 8 episodes are too long, the series does a great job of balancing its different elements so that nothing feels overwhelming at any moment. Situations don’t overstay their welcome and, for the most part, the series paints a vivid picture of everyone’s compulsions and what exactly is at stake for everyone involved in defending Jonathan.
What sometimes plagues legal dramas are the endless courtroom sequences, but Habeas Corpus is able to bring out the emotions of the case and highlight just how important it is to all the characters, particularly Inez and Marina. While the latter starts off with a more complex set of emotions, we eventually see her shifting priorities and understanding of who Inez is as a person. This helps viewers to stay with the story and push through the slower moments, hoping that the gang find their way to the truth and is able to prove it beyond a doubt.
Throughout the runtime, viewers have to constantly question whether or not Inez is correct in her assessment that the initial judgment was incorrect. This gives the series an added layer of tension along with the drama elements that make watching this all the more enjoyable. On top of that, shifting motivations and group politics add an emotional undercurrent, making us root for the characters and follow their journey to the end.
The Cast Makes The Most Impact
While the case itself is interesting and there are several moving elements, it’s the cast and their backstories that make the most impact. Some supporting characters leave a lot to be wanted, but it’s Inez and Marina’s complex backstories and their shared history that keeps viewers intrigued. While the series gives away the relationship between the two in episode 1, it’s how the situation impacts their decisions, interactions and the case itself that turns everything upside down.
Marjorie Estiano and Any Gabrielly are magnetic in their roles and will enamour viewers with their performances. While the supporting cast is great too, it’s clear that the two women are the stars of the show, and they make us remember that in every episode.
The Melodrama Can Be a Double-Edged Sword
One thing that Brazilian dramas almost always get right is the melodrama brewing underneath everything. The relationships between the characters, the way the past comes back to haunt the present, and the shifting dynamics add character to the show that otherwise would’ve felt flat. It’s engaging to watch because it’s a drama along with being a legal show about the injustices within the justice system. One might even be able to infer that this is an emotionally driven legal drama, and while that’s entertaining, it sometimes competes with the legal components, wherein the latter stop mattering.
Either way, overall, it does add to the experience as it not only asks whether justice will be delivered, but also what happens when justice fails in the first place and the emotionally fallout of an unjust system.
The Investigation Gets Its Hands Dirty
The series reminds us that proving that a man is innocent can sometimes be more complicated than one might think. It’s not always a linear process where everyone has to get their hands dirty. The series showcases Inez and her students doing extremely dangerous and sometimes illegal things to gather evidence and go up against the system that prosecuted Jonathan. This creates an interesting contradiction as it asks how far someone is willing to bend the rules to prove a guilty man’s innocence. These questions haunt the viewers as we see the kids giving it their all when their superiors fail.
However, the disappointing thing is that it’s not explored well enough to have that much of an impact in the story. It’s an added topic of tension that could’ve added a lot to the storytelling, but the series chooses to not get into that as much as it should’ve, unfortunately.
Final Verdict
Habeas Corpus is an entertaining show that knows how to keep viewers engaged. While its 8 episodes may sometimes feel like a drag, the emotional drama keeps things moving at a brisk pace and keeps viewers hooked to the runtime for the most part. This one’s a simple series with a good social message, and leaves you smiling by the end of it.
Habeas Corpus Series is streaming right now on Netflix. Did you watch the series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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