Not to undermine the Ocean’s franchise, or your favorite heist show but there’s a (fairly) new player in town and it gets better every episode. Money Heist, or La Casa de Papel (House of Paper) is a Netflix Original Spanish heist story brilliantly told, complete with the charming bad guys you can’t help but root for.
The Professor leads the gang for a spin
Money Heist follows 8 expert criminals set to pull off the biggest heist in recorded history: printing billions of euros in the Royal Mint of Spain. They are invincible with the Professor at the helm and as the mastermind of the entire plan. Every police tactic and attempt to foil the robbers has been successfully anticipated and prepared for by the Professor and the gang.
Prior to the heist, the 8 robbers code-named after cities: Berlin, Tokyo, Rio, Nairobi, Denver, Moscow, Helsinki, and Oslo, underwent training and a strict step by step lecture from the Professor about the plan.
There’s never a dull moment for each episode
The episodes are filled with mind games, political messages, tension, and interpersonal conflict. Just when you think the group is doomed, the Professor pulls another trick off his sleeve. The stakes get higher with every passing episode and you will definitely get frustrated with the clever cliff-hangers. Although the story centers on the Professor and how he manages to make the police and the government run around in circles, the robbers all have their own stories to tell too.
It’s brilliant how Money Heist has managed to complete 22 episodes of Part 1 and 2 with such a small time frame of the story.
The Dali-mask wearers are still humans underneath the masks and red jumpsuits
Although they look scary in their signature Salvador Dali masks and red jumpsuits, you’ll never see a group of robbers so concerned and caring. They have their faults (such as being robbers and criminals) and their own agendas but the Professor, wanting a ‘clean’ robbery, strictly instructed that no hostage should be hurt. Throughout the heist they feed people regular meals, tend to their wounds, give them advice on life and love, and even save them from executions. Filipino hostage takers would never relate!
Money Heist makes you question who the real bad guy is
It’s a modern-day Robin Hood. At face value all you see are the evil mask-wearing gun-wielding hostage takers greedy for money but as you watch episode after episode, these same “bad guys” will make you realize why they’ve staged this bold heist in the first place. They are rightfully taking what’s theirs, unlike the government who have made questionable amounts of money that disappeared right before the public’s eyes. It’s this revelation and realization that Inspector Murillo finally sees what the Professor is fighting for.
The “star-crossed” lovers
What’s a high-adrenaline heist without a bit of dangerous romance in the mix? Despite the Professor’s number one rule forbidding relationships within the group, carefree Tokyo and young Rio disobey. What started out as a cute and endearing romance turn into a nuisance when both robbers make decisions out of heightened emotions that threaten to endanger the group.
We can’t promise you’ll love this couple especially after watching Part 3. If one would analyse the entire series, one would be convinced that every mishap and bump along the Professor’s smooth plan is Tokyo and Rio’s fault. But then again, like we said, what’s a great heist without a bit of dangerous romance in the mix?
The real star-crossed lovers
If you agree with us that the Tokyo/Rio tandem is annoying AF, forget them! Just rejoice instead that there’s another love story that somehow managed to survive all three seasons.
The meticulous Professor had every inch of the heist planned – and then he fell in love. And not just with any woman, it’s with Raquel Murillo the head inspector of the case thereby breaking his own rule number one. Toward the end of Part Two, Inspector Murillo and the Professor did some “defining the relationship” and were allies by Part Three.
They weren’t the only star-crossed lovers brought to each other’s arms by this heist. Denver fell in love with a hostage named Monica who is the mistress of the bank manager, another hostage. All is fair in love and war indeed.
Money Heist will play with your emotions
Maybe you’re a fan of heist movies but you’ll never rejoice over any other heist movie when the robbers win as much as you will in this one. Their every victory is our victory, every death is our death. Every last-minute plan to defeat the police will leave you holding your breath but the Professor will always pull through. You might even find yourself singing the anti-fascist song Bella Ciao as the credits roll.
It’s refreshing to watch a Spanish series
Perhaps the reason you skip this series is because you’d either have to switch to unemotional dubbing, read subtitles, or simply because other titles call out to you. Money Heist is a brilliant show that doesn’t deserve that skip! Don’t you think it’s high time to pause that FRIENDS re-watch and try a different series instead?
Money Heist Part 4 has finished filming on August 2019 but is yet to be given a release date.
Tell us what you think of Money Heist in the comments below!
