Umthetho Review: Netflix has been really amping up, bringing several shows from across the world that highlight the difficulties and lives of the people and paint a more realistic portrayal of life. Umthetho is a crime-thriller film that hides a shocking family drama in the midst, which will make you question morality over and over again. The series follows a young prosecutor who finds her life changed forever when she tries to save one brother and falls into the murky actions of another.
The series is a complex showcase of how fast our decisions and morals change when something big is at stake and, with fantastic performances across the board, the series is a tense watch.
The Netflix series stars Nqobile Nunu K.H., Given Stuurman, Tony Kgoroge, Lorcia Cooper, Ernest Msibi, Molefi Monaisa, Sindi Dlathu, Sthembiso Khoza, Mandla Gaduka, and Sello Ramolahloane. The series is an adaptation of the Brazilian series Irmandade and consists of 7 episodes.
Umthetho Review
A Familiar Crime Story With a Strong Local Identity
Justice becomes a secondary concern in Netflix’s Umthetho, a South African series that pits the law against family and lets the pieces fall as they may. The series follows Mbali Dlamini, a public prosecutor who, while trying to save her younger brother, gets embroiled in a dangerous game with the law that doesn’t seem to care about upholding its own values. In the midst, she learns about her long-lost brother Moses, whose life in prison leaves her stumped.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the series is not just about Mbali and her choices, but it’s about the three siblings whose choices shift our perspective of them constantly. The series isn’t interested in painting anyone in a good or bad light; there are just grey areas here in which everyone is just working with the hand that has been dealt to them. There’s a lot of complex and over-the-top moments in the Netflix series, but there’s a surprising honesty in its portrayal of people’s realities that really separates it from others.
Going into the South African prison system and highlighting the atrocities that take place there is nothing new. But Umthetho is more about a family drama and the shifting dynamics and loyalties that fundamentally change us as people forever. The series, thus, instead of focusing on conventional crime thriller elements, is more interested in highlighting its tension surrounding family, loyalty, justice and survival.
When Justice Becomes Personal
When the series starts, Mbali seems to be quite sure of what justice means for her – she is, after all, a prosecutor. However, when justice becomes personal, she starts to bend the rules to her will to save the person she loves. While she starts off hating Moses for his actions, in the end, we see hints of him in her. It’s a brutal and compelling watch, because these small choices that she justifies throughout the series turn her into someone we couldn’t have imagined seeing in the first place.
Of course, with the blatant corruption around her, there really isn’t a choice here. She either chooses to protect her family and compromise everything that she stands for or follow the law and risk her family. It’s an impossible situation, and the series focuses on these emotional beats rather than solely relying on brutal, action-packed situations.
Where Umthetho Could Have Been Sharper
However, at 7 episodes, Umthetho can get taxing as some scenes and situations feel extremely over-the-top. The series has its tense moments, but there are several that just feel forced and unnecessary. While the brutality of prison is an important thing to showcase, some moments are a bit too silly to be taken seriously. Some of the characters’ actions, too, get into the Disney villain category and can feel far too much considering how grounded the series is otherwise. Overall, the series could’ve been shorter and more impactful without certain unnecessary sequences that don’t add anything to the overall plot.
The Performances Keep the Drama Grounded
Nqobile Nunu Gamedze is simply fantastic in the series, and it’s hard to look away from her. She carries the show’s emotional conflict with ease as she finds herself in the midst of a huge conflict that starts to slip out of her hands. Tony Kgoroge, as Moses, is arresting and intimidating and plays his role as the crime syndicate boss well. All the characters showcase a side of themselves that comes out under pressure. Most of the series is as impactful as you’d expect, thanks to the fantastic performances by the cast.
Final Verdict
Umthetho is a very enjoyable and moving watch that makes us wonder whether morality can be upheld under impossible circumstances. The series could’ve definitely benefited from a shorter runtime and a bit less Disney villain negativity, but overall, it’s the performances that sell the story over anything else. In the end, this one’s a great watch that will leave you hooked.
Umthetho is streaming on Netflix right now. What are your thoughts on the series? Let us know in the comments below!
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