Netflix’s ‘Money Heist’ Prequel Needs More Heists, Less Romance

What made the original Money Heist such an international sensation? Was it the twisty plot, which sees a band of master criminals hiding secrets and making shocking choices before, during, and after a robbery? Or creator Álex Pina’s clever structure, which jumps around in the narrative timeline to keep viewers from learning key details too soon? Or maybe the colorful characters, each sporting the name of a major world city? All of the above were factors, sure. But so was this: Money Heist looks amazing.

In the Money Heist prequel miniseries Berlin, the dynamic cinematography and glamorous locales still stand out. Even at its dullest—and there are stretches in the middle of this overlong eight-episode run that slow to a crawl— the show has the flash and polish of a blockbuster movie, shot in ritzy locations in and around Paris and Madrid. Netflix subscribers will feel like they’re getting their money’s worth.

But here’s the hangup: Those subscribers might be better off looking at the pictures and ignoring the words. Compared to its parent series, Berlin has a fairly flat plot, played out by a collection of broadly drawn antiheroes who aren’t as fascinating as Pina and primary collaborator Esther Martínez Lobato seem to believe.

Read more at The Daily Beast.