SPECTROS is a Netflix series from Brazil. The cast is very diverse with a story that includes both Brazilian witchcraft and Japanese Shinto ghosts. Read our full Spectros review here and watch Season 1 of the new fantasy-thriller series on Netflix now!

Spectros is a Netflix series from Brazil. This is a fantasy-thriller series along the lines of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, season 1 also features a mystery that unfolds through a series of flashbacks.

The cast itself is very diverse which is a good thing since the story focuses on both Brazilian witchcraft and Japanese Shinto. In case you didn’t know, Brazil has the largest amount of Japanese descendants outside of Japan.

Read more in our full Spectros review below.

Spectros: Season 1 Netflix Review

Lots of pop culture references

From episode 1 of Spectros, you get the clear feeling that this Netflix series was created by someone who loves fantasy, thriller and horror genres. There is a sweet younger brother, who just loves all things horror. I’m sure many of us can relate to him.

Also, movie titles, as well as horror creators (writers and movie directors), are name-dropped to make us feel home. And yes, it works like a charm! Check out the trailer for Spectros before watching the first episode and you’ll already have an idea of what I mean.

Finally, this Brazilian Netflix series might not include actors I know, but they do all give very convincing and believable performances. The plot features quite a bit of social realism commentary. Don’t worry, if you dislike that sort of thing in your entertainment, then you can ignore it.

If you do like it, then it’s all very well placed and clearly just trying to show many sides of Brazil to an international Netflix audience.

Spectros: Season 1 Netflix Review

Watch Season 1 of Spectros on Netflix now!

Douglas Petrie is the creator of this new Netflix series and he has also directed the seven episodes of season 1. Creating series in the fantasy and thriller genres is nothing new for Douglas Petrie. He wrote, directed and produced several episodes of the iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.

Also, he worked on the series such as Tru Calling (2003-2005) and the Netflix series The Defenders and Daredevil. Finally, he was a producer on American Horror Story: Coven which earned him an Emmy nomination in 2014.

Up next, Douglas Petrie is producing the up-coming Joss Whedon series The Nevers which is slated to come out on HBO in 2021. Until then, you can check out Spectros on Netflix. To me, the closest comparison is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Personally, I wasn’t crazy about this series. It just didn’t really get a hold on me (which Buffy always did). Then again, I’m sure Spectros will find a substantial fanbase on Netflix.

Spectros is out on Netflix from February 20, 2020.

Details

Creator: Douglas Petrie
Starring: Miwa Yanagizawa, Nicolas Trevijano, Enzo Barone, Mayhara Ribeiro, Bege Muniz, Mariana Sena, Ricardo Iazzetta, Drop Dashi, Norival Rizzo, Danilo Mesquita, Kelzy Ecard, Antonio Miano, Jairo Mattos, Jui Huang, Wallie Ruy, Claudia Okuno, Jimmy Wong, Fania Espinosa, Daniel Rocha, Carlos Takeshi, Pedro Carvalho

Plot

In Liberdade, a São Paulo neighborhood known by its large Japanese community, a group of teenagers is inadvertently drawn into an unearthly reality they cannot comprehend and that ties back to the same part of the town many years ago. Upon confronting increasingly bizarre and grim events, the group understands that an evil force is bringing back the dead and those spirits will want vengeance for the mistakes done in the past, unless stopped.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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