Latest streaming sensation Tremembé has sparked controversy around the real story’s dramatic retelling
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 takes us inside the gates of Brazil’s unofficial ‘celebrity prison’.
The series revisits cases that once made headlines – from Suzane von Richthofen to Elize Matsunaga – bringing them together under one roof and revealing how alliances, rivalries, and shifting power dynamics influenced daily 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 been a victim of domestic abuse and sharing her side of the story in a Netflix documentary.
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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 apartment. 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 viewers spotlighting Marina Ruy Barbosa’s portrayal of Suzane, noting that she “gives an outstanding performance… masterfully capturing her mannerisms and gestures seen in real-life interviews”.
Letícia Rodrigues’ interpretation of Sandrão was called out as “truly remarkable”, while another critic commended the performer behind Elize Matsunaga as “truly unforgettable… intense and subtle at the same time”, noting that the smaller gestures and emotional restraint “feel incredibly real”.
The Cravinhos brothers and Alexandre Nardoni are also spotlighted for depictions characterized as “authentic and believable”, with one viewer observing that the overall cast provides “a strong sense of realism and emotion”.
The viewer reaction has been equally explosive. Tremembé rocketed straight to the top spot on Prime Video Brazil during its debut weekend and has already emerged as one of the platform’s most significant national launches in its history.
Exact numbers stay confidential, but the streaming service has allegedly told producers that the show surpassed all internal expectations, according to Variety.
However, backlash emerged almost instantly. Cristian Cravinhos, found guilty for his involvement in the Richthofen killings and now free, slammed the production online, alleging multiple scenes were made up. In the series, his character, portrayed by Kelner Macêdo, is depicted managing a complicated relationship with his brother Daniel and beginning a romantic involvement with a fellow prisoner.
Following his criticism of the show as “full of lies,” he faced public pushback from journalist and author Ullisses Campbell, whose investigative work formed the basis for the storylines.
Tremembé is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.themirror.com ’
