When was the last time you came across a murder mystery attempted with a comic plot? It is a hard genre to crack. You must be intricate as a mystery solver and genuinely humorous as a laugh infuser.
A new show, Unsuspicious, has started streaming on Netflix that promises to be funny, intriguing, and high on drama (unofficially). Furthermore, it originates from Brazil.
Whether it delivers on the high promises its Netflix description makes is a different thing altogether. Here’s my Unsuspicious review where I try to answer this query.
Unsuspicious Review Summary
Trying to create a fun and engaging narrative, Unsuspicious is all about a lazy plot forced upon the audience in the guise of a murder mystery. Keep reading my Unsuspicious review to know what works and what doesn’t for the series.
Unsuspicious Synopsis
A rich man with three wives (almost) suddenly dies in his apartment. The three women are present in the house when the unfortunate event occurs. And they are accompanied by their quirky families. Added to the craziness is an incompetent detective assigned to solve the murder mystery.
A Brazilian show, Unsuspicious stars Cezar Maracuja (Raul), DHU Moraes (Vo Zanina), Eliezer Motta (Washington), Fernanda Paes Leme (Patricia), GI Uzeda (Yara), Gkay (Xandra), Maira Azevedo (Bete), Marcelo Medici (Charles Nunes), Paulo Tiefenthaler (Jorghino), Raphael Logam (Darlisson), Romulo Arantes Neto (Mauricio), Silvero Pereira (Aquila), and Thati Lopes (Thyellen) in lead roles.
What Works for Unsuspicious?
After a long time, a show has arrived that I cannot praise even after being too lenient. Unsuspicious is simply a no-runner from the beginning till the end. However, there’s something that’s decent about it, laid down below.
Performances
Almost everyone on the screen is playing a lead character in Unsuspicious. Since the cast is enormous and talking about all of them would not be feasible, I am mentioning the best ones.
GI Uzeda as Yara is the only sensible actor in Unsuspicious. Also, she is the youngest among all. Her outing is smart and not convenient, unlike others. Uzeda doesn’t overdo anything and just goes with the flow.
I don’t know if it was her dialogues or acting talent, but she somehow managed to stand out. Maybe, her character’s rawness and teenage countenance did the trick by ameliorating her skills.
Fernanda Paes Leme plays Patricia in Unsuspicious and takes care of her side of the bet. Even though she is overt in the show, her presentation skills are better than most others.
Marcelo Medici, as Charles Nunes, begins like a commoner but manages to grow with time. His act seems crotchety initially, but once you realize how the role has been written, you make amends with his foolishness.
Everybody else is decent in Unsuspicious. They are not too good mainly due to flaws in the script, leading to poor characterization.
What Doesn’t Work for Unsuspicious?
A lot of things don’t turn out well for Unsuspicious. You can read about them below:
Boring and Lame
The plot of Unsuspicious is by far the most boring one I have witnessed in quite some time. It has a poorly built storyline that keeps hobbling at every step of the way. There are no plus sides, to be honest. Unsuspicious is confused about whether it wants to be a murder mystery or a rom-com, or simply a comedy series meant to be a pass time affair.
When I read the series’ synopsis, it felt exciting and intriguing, but nothing turned out as per expectations. The makers had a compelling concept but couldn’t capitalize on it. In fact, they never seemed to be in control of the story.
Poor jokes, fluffy dialogues, and a bland screenplay push this Brazilian series further into oblivion. It just cannot regroup after a sluggish start.
Flawed Writing
A good script can enhance the viewer experience by a considerable margin. You are allowed to have a bad day as an actor, and still, the series might work because there are other performers to take the baton. However, when the writing is poor, the character sketches are lackluster, and dialogues are written without vigor, the entire spectrum associated with a show suffers.
It is hard to find even a tiny ray of hope in Unsuspicious when it comes to the script or writing, in general. You are in for a lot of disappointment.
Uninteresting Story
One man with three love affairs dies inside his apartment in the presence of the three ladies. This one sentence is enough to arouse curiosity among viewers. But that’s all that it can do. You can allure the audience but cannot sustain them if the story is not plotted well.
The tale in Unsuspicious never manages to rise above mediocrity. Suspense and thrill are entirely absent. Moreover, the twists and turns feel outdated. Nothing in the show is capable enough to make you laugh or weep.
Poorly Plotted
In the middle of the first episode, I thought Unsuspicious was officially a funny or comedy show. But upon checking the information on Netflix, I found its genres were “TV Mysteries” and “Crime TV Shows.” It came as a shock to me.
What makes a murder mystery? Suspense, thrill, and an upbeat screenplay. Moreover, it needs an investigation having a broody touch and the right intention. Maybe, there is miscommunication from the makers to Netflix about the right genre of the series.
Cringe Narration
You cannot fool the audience in 2022. Unsuspicious is a product of embarrassing elements, trying to draw the viewer forcefully. It keeps telling you about some mystery that is to be unfolded through preachy dialogues.
Instead of using the screenplay or the story to reflect on its credentials, Unsuspicious relies on verbal references. You know why the narration is bad? Because there’s no clarity regarding where the story is headed.
Final Word
Though I am always against overtly telling the viewer if they should watch something or not but in the case of Unsuspicious, writing on the wall is pretty clear. You can skip it.
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