The Mechanism
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Brazilian crime series has detectives, drugs, drama.
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The Mechanism
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Based on 2 parent reviews
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An incredible TV Show, Brazil is not for amateurs.
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What's the Story?
Brazil, thinks federal police deputy Marco Ruffo (Selton Mello), is being eaten up by a cancer of corruption -- and though he's been able to discover THE MECHANISM by which ruthless criminals are stealing billions from the people, arresting everyone has been another thing entirely. Criminals like Roberto Ibrahim (Enrigue Diaz) have spread their tentacles to seemingly every branch of the Brazilian government, and though Ruffo and partner Verena Cardoni (Caroline Abras) work hard to make their case, they're met with resistance at every turn. Created by Jose Padilha (Narcos), this series was inspired by a real-life case of massive Brazilian corruption.
Is It Any Good?
Helmed by Narcos creator Jose Padilha, this series has been clearly positioned to be the Brazilian brother to the Colombian crime drama, but though it's arresting, it doesn't hit Narcos' heights. First of all, it can't boast an actor as compelling and magnetic as Wagner Moura. Instead, Mechanism relies on a trio of characters to anchor its story, and none of them are as strong as Moura's Escobar. Money menace Roberto Ibrahim is the closest parallel, but he's no Moura, and Mello's Ruffo and Abras' Cardoni aren't as relatable, either.
Not helping matters: The real-life corruption story that Mechanism dramatizes is a lot more complicated than a straightforward cops-versus-bad guys scenario. While most Americans of a certain age are aware of at least the broad outlines of Escobar's story and the rise of cocaine in the 1970s and 1980s, most won't have heard of "Operation Car Wash," the corruption scandal that inspired this series, nor of "Petrobras," the much bigger case of money laundering and embezzlement that reaches the highest levels of Brazilian government. Financial scandals are by their nature harder to dramatize than gang crimes: Instead of photogenic and dramatic shoot-outs, you have investigators poring over papers and listening in on phone conversations. Some crime dramas have managed to make that process absolutely riveting -- but this one has only partially succeeded.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why criminal enterprises are so often the subject of dramas. What's dramatic or interesting about crime? Why are people compelled to watch shows like The Mechanism and to create stories about crime?
How are viewers supposed to feel about the criminal characters in this drama? Is Ibrahim supposed to be likable? Scary? Relatable? Are we supposed to see ourselves in him? How can you tell?
This series moves back and forth in time, from 2003 to 2013 and beyond. How does the series show the time change? As a viewer, do you like to be told straight out that a story has moved ahead or back in time, or do you prefer to be given cues in clothing, set dressing, or other methods?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 23, 2018
- Cast: Selton Mello, Caroline Abras, Enrique Diaz
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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