Money Heist Review: Is It Good? Is It Worth Watching?

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few months, you must have heard the name Money Heist. Netflix’s Spanish acquisition blew up globally, with many people lauding it as the most excellent show in the past decade.

Now, four seasons deep, the show has started to crumble. While the first two seasons managed to wrap up a short story filled with love and drama, the men and women in red jumpsuits now look lost.

Money Heist managed to hook viewers in with a fast-paced story and some excellent characters. The group of robbers in red jumpsuits and Dali masks became an iconic symbol for resistance against capitalism.

But, in the later seasons, the writing feels clunky, the drama is heaped on, and the show appears to be running out of plot ideas.

1. Info

2. Is It Worth Watching?

The first two seasons of Money Heist are the best parts of the show. The writers had a clear plot in mind, which they were able to execute with great bravado using budget from Netflix. The actors did a fantastic job, and the fans picked their favorites from the diverse group of personalities.

I. Plot

The plot revolves around a group of criminals and robbers brought together by the enigmatic Professor. He has been planning to rob the Royal Mint of Spain and trains the group for five months.

The show focuses on the meticulous plans and the specific contingencies of the Professor. He has prepared his group of actors for every twist that they can encounter. The robbers dressed in red jumpsuits and Dali masks storm the Royal Mint, taking the people inside hostage.

Money Heist - Part 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix

They plan to print 2.4 billion euros worth of untraceable banknotes while the police lay a siege outside. The Professor had several rules about the group, including no real names and personal relationships.

While the gang is named after various cities, personal relationships and unforeseen plots put the heist in jeopardy. As the Professor orchestrates the robbery from the outside, Inspector Raquel Murillo and her colleague Angel are hot on his heels.

The third season follows the aftermath of the robbery as the authorities catch up with the gang. This forces them to re-unite and storm the Bank of Spain, to seek the release of one of their own.

With its haphazard writing, excessive drama, and a hail of bullets and explosions, this season set a shaky foundation for a weak story that doesn’t have much to do with a Heist.

II. Cast & Characters

Alvaro Morte plays the mastermind behind the heist. He is The Professor who recruits and trains bis team and plans for every contingency.

Pedro Alonso plays Berlin, his close friend, and the leader of the gang. Berlin is a narcissistic, terminally ill psychopath, who gives us some of the best moments.

Alba Flores shines as Nairobi, a badass forger who commands her scenes and the men working for her with ease. She is a heady cocktail of playful innocence and quick-thinking leadership.

Ursula Corbero and Miguel Herran are the young and in-love couple whose relationships often throw a spanner in the plan’s gears. As Tokyo, Corbero also serves as the unreliable narrator of the series.

Paco Tous and Jaime Lorente play the father-son duo of Moscow and Berlin, miners in charge of the escape tunnel. Drako Peric rounds up the gang giving one of the most memorable performances as the giant mercenary Oslo, showcasing great emotional depth.

Itziar Ituno plays the sharp Inspector Murillo, who is in charge of the case in season 1.

III. Detailed Review

A significant reason for the popularity of Money Heist was that there had been no new additions in the robbery or heist genre. The Italian Job and the Ocean’s trilogy were exceptional, and no one else has bothered to get into the style.

Finally, fans had a show about a meticulously planned heist, which was filled with twists and turned some predictable and unplanned, all of which were thrilling. Money Heist carried with it the charm of Spanish TV, finding subplots of love and relationships in the middle of a grand robbery.

Bella Ciao Full Song | La Casa De Papel | Money Heist | Netflix India

While it is an entertaining show, to term it one of the best is an overstatement. The actors are great and give us iconic characters to love and hate, but the script is weak and the dialogue unimaginative.

Most of the heist revolves around the Professor’s masterplan who has planned for every contingency, but there are multiple plot holes and excessive dramatization. The third and fourth seasons take too long to get going, and it remains to be seen how the series will conclude.

The constant yelling of the characters distracts you from the plot, and the police are made out to be the dumb ones. The second heist also feels less thought out than the first one, and it quickly becomes something much more. While an entertaining show that manages to shock you from time to time, it’s not the greatest show of this generation.

3. Final Thoughts

Money Heist is a thrilling and entertaining ride, with twists around every corner. If you don’t nit-pick and think too hard, it’s a fun show filled with a horde of great characters.

The writing could’ve been better, and the later seasons feel prolonged, but the cliffhanger endings will keep you hooked.