Netflix’s Good Morning Veronica Review: Prisoner in Your Own Home

Good Morning Veronica is a crime-mystery series which is based on the novel of the same name by Raphael Montes and Ilana Casoy, who also created the series. It is directed by José Henrique Fonseca and stars Tainá Müller, Eduardo Moscovis and Camila Morgado.

[TW: abuse, suicide, extreme violence]

Abuse and violence

Good Morning Veronica follows a clerk in the homicide department who gets entangled in a web of deceit and mind-numbing abuse when a woman kills herself in front of her. What follows is a twisted tale of corruption, and what it takes for victims of abuse to break the cycle.

Veronica, in a bid to help women entangled in a deceitful online dating game, meets Janete, a woman enslaved in her own home by her violent, predatory, and absolutely evil husband Claudio. In spite of what the series tells you, the hero of this series is Janete. The series is for her, and for hundreds and thousands of women who fall victim to brutes like Claudio. That is probably the reason why every episode ending comes with a message encouraging women to come forward if they are experiencing abuse. The sheer torture that Janete goes through at Claudio’s hand is horrific, to say the least. And it’s not just physical, the mental abuse is far more horrific.

Good Morning Veronica shows exactly how the cycle of abuse works – how abusers trap their victims’ minds and create a cycle where they are either too afraid to do anything or blame themselves. As a result, they are unable to get out of the situation. However, it is Janete’s undying spirit and her determination to do what is right that drives her to Veronica and keeps her going till the end. On the other hand, Veronica has her own history. We get to see that just enough, but not so much that we get bored. Her history is what gives Veronica a humane side, and pushes her to do what is right. She’s a good, well-rounded character, and easily likeable.

Another infuriating part about Good Morning Veronica is the justice department. Their apathy to do anything about so many murdered women, as well as their general disdain towards women’s issues is horrifying and anger-inducing. Add to that the blatant sexism and misogyny, and you’d find yourself fearing for yourself in your home. The series uses all these strings to create a show which is fast-paced and doesn’t give you a minute to slow down. It’s one horrifying thing after another until it ends on a cliffhanger.

The screenplay, written by the writers of the book, does an excellent job balancing the two stories – Veronica’s and Janete’s. We see both sides of the story equally, and it gives us enough information to stay hooked throughout. But I’d like to again point out that there’s a lot of violence, and the mental torture is astounding. I’d suggest people who’d find such themes triggering to skip this one.

Good Morning Veronica is also splendidly acted, and the leads all do an excellent job at playing their roles – making it an engaging watch. You’d be able to understand each of the characters’ frustrations, fears, and anxieties primarily because of the great acting. Although I didn’t care much about the background score, the cinematography was good and added the necessary punch to make the series engaging.

Summing up: Good Morning Veronica

One of the most frightening scenes of Good Morning Veronica’s is between Janete and Claudio, where she accidentally spills sauce on him. And this is considering there are brutal murder scenes in this series. There’s a lot of things going for this Brazilian mystery, however, it wins brownie points for showing how mental abuse works, how victims are alienated from their loved ones and how difficult it is for them to speak out. It’s absolutely horrifying and will give you shivers down your spine.

Good Morning Veronica is streaming on Netflix.

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