When crime happens at the border between two countries, it’s usually not big enough to earn the attention of two police departments. Criminal Code starts off with a literal bang, with around 50 participants bombing a security firm for a robbery. As the Paraguay and Brazilian police departments find new revelations, including the robbery’s link with a prison breakout, amongst other crimes, both sides want the glory of solving a case this big. However, Benicio just wants justice for his fallen partner, who got caught in the clash in the breakout. It’s not new – the written cases were inspired by actual real-life crimes – but it’s executed well, the whole plot unfolding piece by piece as more evidence presents itself. It’s no wonder this story was chosen to be the first Brazilian police series on Netflix.

Being the first Brazilian police series on Netflix, of course, the team would like to portray the police with some accuracy and more intrigue than previous depictions. Criminal Code plays out in a fairly straightforward way, but it’s executed well, with a balance of hi-tech forensics, great special effects, life threatening shoot-outs and stoic, emotionally pressing interrogation. And it’s driven by two plot devices – the scramble between two police departments to get the glory, and Benicio’s grief over the loss of his partner, who he was drinking with that night. While the second device isn’t precisely new, it is tried and true, and, mixed with the two-team investigation, it makes for a fairly entertaining start for Brazilian police procedurals on the platform.