Review of the Netflix series ‘Every Day the Same Night’
Sensitive drama about a nightclub fire in Brazil that killed 242 people.
Every day the same night It is about one of the biggest disasters to hit Brazil: the fire at the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, where 242 people died. The big question is whether this series narrates this tragedy in such a way that all victims, families and aid organizations are honored. The answer to that question is a resounding yes.
From the first episode we follow several young people on the eve of their future. There are many characters that are introduced in rapid succession, making it hard to tell who is who at times. Rather, the creators concentrate on sketching out a casual atmosphere around the party-loving youth, emphasizing how poignant it is that these same people walked into the Kiss nightclub on that fateful night.
The fire itself is excitingly filmed. The violent events that followed soon after are described in detail, sensitivity, and sometimes drama. And all this without losing sight of what matters: the people who have experienced this drama, who they are and what they have to say. While the right of victims to speak is being discussed in the Netherlands, in Brazil they seem to understand very well that everything revolves around being heard and sharing pain. The series was very clearly made for that reason.
day the same night It is made with love and not for show or to discredit. All those responsible for starting the fire are named without overly demonizing them, with the exception of the club owner, who is portrayed as a tearful drama queen. If everything her character says in the series really came out of her sleeve, it’s no wonder. It seems there were a lot of players involved, who are held to account by the creators in a civil manner.
The aftermath of the disaster and the search for justice are told as well as possible. The complicated legal system is hard to understand (especially for non-Brazilians) and the creators have done their best to explain it as much as possible. However, the viewer should not be afraid of losing the thread, because in each episode the voice of the relatives continues to act as a red thread. This feeds into the story over and over again and lends a sensitive tone to the informative legal scenes.
The finale of the five-part series shows a disconcerting development of circumstances. In reality, this case is not yet concluded: those responsible are still on the run. It is impossible to imagine how everyone involved should deal with this. Despite this unimaginable loss, we also see survivors and family members regain strength in very beautiful moments. Unexpectedly, this sensitive series manages to bring this gripping story to a moving end, though the real story continues.
Every day the same night can be seen in Netflix.