I recently finished watching one of the most iconic TV shows of all time. Yes, you guessed it right. I’m talking about Money Heist!
Money Heist is a Spanish Netflix crime drama produced by Alex Pina in 2017. The story revolves around the mastermind “Professor“, who plans to carry out the biggest heist ever with the help of 8 of his recruits!
It features 5 seasons covering two thrilling heists that’ll keep you hooked to your seats! It has an 8.2/10 rating on IMDb and a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
My Top 5 Reasons for Loving Money Heist
I had heard a lot about this series, but never got around to actually watching it. After multiple recommendations from my friends and cousins, it took me 18 days to complete the entire series.
And I’m here to tell you all the good and the great things that impressed me. Let’s begin!
1) Thoughtful Character Build-Up
The creator of the show must’ve definitely had a deeper understanding of human psychology. The way each character’s story was shown in parts across the series, you could almost understand and empathize with their situation.
The characters felt like a part of your own life. I couldn’t help crying my eyes out when one of them got shot or died. The emotion was so real, so palpable! The depth and detail that must have gone into understanding and creating a character with all its complexities is so impressive to me.
2) Quirky Things Became Iconic
I love how each of the characters was named after a city. It was such a cool and clever way to represent their identity. Tokyo, Rio, Stockholm, Denver, Nairobi, Berlin, Palermo, and so on.. The best part was that after a while, the names kind of felt in sync with the characters’ personalities.
Similarly, the red jumpsuits with the Dali masks initially felt a little quirky. But by the end of the series, everyone was wearing them. It became a symbol of resistance. Finally, all of them danced to “Bella Ciao” to celebrate every occasion was heartwarming!
3) Exploring Complex Emotions
The way the whole series navigated through complex emotions like romance, death, grief, and hopelessness was astonishing. There are countless instances I remember from the series where I felt raw, powerful emotions hitting me in the face, punching me in the guts.
Spoiler alert!!
The betrayal Monica felt when Arturo declined her baby, the embarrassment of Berlin when his friends discovered about his illness, the hope, and naivety in Nairobi’s eyes when she asked the Professor for a baby, the way Tokyo wanted a breath of fresh air despite owning a damn island herself!
Denver’s confusion stuck between Manila and Stockholm, the helplessness of Raquel about to dial the number on the phone to secure her family, the jolt of happiness when all the money was finally printed, the distrust Alicia felt towards the professor when she was about to deliver her baby, and so on…
There are a million other incidents that portray the complexity of emotions within those four walls. The way the director has treaded through these fragile emotions with utmost care and precision wins my heart.
4) Crazy Plot Twists
If I had to define the entire series in one word, I’d call it Plot Twists. But what made them unique was you could never see them coming.
One second you feel like the team is about to be caught, but then something miraculously saves them! Raquel Murillo caught the Professor red-handed in his den, and you’d think the mission is gone down the drain. But no, instead she joins in. Later Alicia Sierra found him in a similar situation, and she turned to his side as well!
When the gold was lost for a while, you’d think this was the end. But the Professor managed to bring things back into his control and finally escape with (almost) all of his teammates! Overall, the twists were unexpected. That’s where the beauty lies.
5) Apt Theme Song and Visuals
The theme song of Money Heist is called “My Life is Going On” by Cecilia Krull. I love how the lyrics of the song resonate with the storyline.
To me, it essentially portrays the characters’ undying trust in the professor, their struggle with hopelessness amidst all the chaos, and their deep-seated desire to make a new beginning once the heist is over!
The guitar notes and the soulful lyrics, paired with elegant visuals give it a poetic feel.
My Favorite Money Heist Character
Without a doubt, my favorite character was Tokyo. Oh my God, she was drop-dead gorgeous. Despite being a girl, I couldn’t take my eyes off her, haha. I was smitten with her charm.
The way she carried herself, the way she spoke, how she expressed her emotions, the way she stood up for her friends. She walked into the lion’s den to rescue the love of her life. Who would do that? She embodied the perfect woman with a crazy commitment.
I was truly impressed with her character build-up over the seasons.
Besides Tokyo, I also liked Berlin! He played his part so well in the first 2 seasons that I actually started loathing him. Well, that only means he did justice to his role. I’m planning to watch the Berlin series next. If you’ve watched it already, I’d love to know your reviews. But mind you, no spoilers!
Final Thoughts
I am obsessed with suspense thrillers, be it movies, novels, or TV series. Interestingly, Money Heist does complete justice to the genre. It’s a perfect concoction of thrilling, suspenseful, and emotional events.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Have you watched Money Heist? What struck you the most? Do you have anything else to add? Share with me in the comments below. I’d love to know your thoughts!
Anyway, this is Firefly signing off! I’ll be back with more fun stuff and hopefully be more consistent in the coming days. Keep shining! 🙂