10 Shows Like Criminal Code You Must See

‘Criminal Code’ is a fictionalized retelling of the 2017 robbery at a securities insurance company in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, and the following investigation. After the perpetrators walk away with millions, federal police officers from the Foz do Iguaçu police station, in Brazil, open an investigation that connects both countries and involves more than 50 suspects. While the task is enormous, it is also personal for one of the officers whose partner was killed by one of the thieves. Originally titled ‘DNA do crime,’ the Brazilian Portuguese crime action drama is created by Heitor Dhalia and Leonardo Levis and is based on real-life incidents. If the show based in Latin America has got you hooked, here are some more similar to ‘Criminal Code’ that you may enjoy diving into.

10. Gangs of Oslo (2023-)

Created by Ole Endresen, ‘Gangs of Oslo’ follows Moaz Ibrahim (Emir Zamwa), a young police officer with a criminal past who is forced to lead a double life. However, the ghost of his past catches up with him as an investigation leads him back to his childhood best friend, who is now a fierce leader of the underworld. The hard-hitting Norwegian crime drama provides the thrill of crimes being perpetrated and solved in a foreign land, as in ‘Criminal Code.’

9. Dept Q (2025-)

‘Dept Q’ by Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani tells the story of Detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), the newly appointed head of the cold-case unit in the Edinburgh police department. Suffering from PTSD after being shot at on the line of duty, his role is a chance for him to recover, as well as a PR exercise for the organization. However, things go off the rails as Carl reopens a ferry accident case from four years ago and dedicates himself to solving it along with his assembled team of misfits. What starts off as a simple investigation soon turns into a groundbreaking case, mirroring the sudden increase in the scope of the investigation in ‘Criminal Code.’

8. Santo (2022)

‘Santo’ chronicles the investigation into an eponymous drug dealer who stands accused of occult-adjacent crimes, but whose face has never been seen. The narrative, from the mind of Carlos López, takes place between Madrid and Salvador, and follows two officers from Spain and Brazil, Miguel Millán (Raúl Arévalo) and Ernesto Cardona (Bruno Gagliasso), looking into the case. In addition to the cases in ‘Santo’ and ‘Criminal Code’ being set in Brazil, both extend beyond the borders of the country, forcing different law enforcement organizations to cooperate with each other.

7. The Mechanism (2018-2019)

Originally titled ‘O Mecanismo,’ ‘The Mechanism’ by Elena Soarez and José Padilha is set around an active police task force that uncovers corruption in the Brazilian government and several prominent engineering firms. Code-named Operation Car Wash, it is initially led by Federal Police agent Marco Ruffo (Selton Mello) and his apprentice, Verena Cardoni (Carol Abras), before turning into the greatest case of money laundering in the country’s history. The scale of the federal operation is much like the one that takes place in ‘Criminal Code.’

6. Brotherhood (2019-)

Set in São Paulo in the mid-1990s, ‘Brotherhood’ by Pedro Morelli revolves around an honest lawyer, Cristina (Naruna Costa), who discovers her estranged brother Edson (Seu Jorge) in prison as the leader of a gang known as the Brotherhood. Forced by the police, she becomes an informant against her brother at great personal risk. However, as she uncovers more about her brother’s past, her idea of justice gets blurred. Both ‘Brotherhood’ and ‘Criminal Code’ dive into the gang-infested underbelly of Brazil, where loyalties are tested and a larger story is ever present.

5. New Bandits (2023-)

From the minds of Mariana Bardan and Eduardo Melo, ‘New Bandits’ tells the story of Ubaldo (Allan Souza Lima), a struggling bank clerk in desperate need of money. When he receives an inheritance from his birth father, whom he barely remembers, the trajectory of his life turns around. Ubaldo goes to Cratará, in the heart of the northwest desert, to meet his sisters Dinorah and Dilvania, ultimately becoming the leader of a group of bank robbers. The new line of work forces him to deal with thieves, corrupt politicians, and police. The daring robberies in the show, originally titled ‘Cangaço Novo,’ are reminiscent of the robbery around which ‘Criminal Code’ is based.

4. The Wire (2002-2008)

Created by former police reporter David Simon, ‘The Wire’ explores the illegal drug trade in Baltimore, Maryland, and its relationship with the other prominent institutions of the city, such as law enforcement, bureaucracy, the education department, and the media. Loosely based on the experiences of former homicide detective Ed Burns, the show deals with themes of institutional dysfunction and surveillance, with each episode linked by greater overarching themes and settings. Much like ‘Criminal Code,’ the show explores the maneuvers undertaken by law enforcement to keep up with what is happening under their very noses.

3. Fargo (2014-2024)

Based on the eponymous 1996 film by Joel and Ethan Coen, ‘Fargo’ is an anthology series with each season dealing with a single story set in a Midwestern town. Despite the variations in the setting, cast, and characters, the seasons share the same continuity created by Noah Hawley. It usually revolves around gruesome murders and other horrific crimes that seem unrelated but are connected in some way. The perpetrators are afflicted with a twisted mindset that the investigators must follow until the full picture of carnage emerges—one greater than the sum of its parts—similar to ‘Criminal Code.

2. Blood Coast (2023-)

Originally titled ‘Pax Massilia,’ Kamel Guemra’s ‘Blood Coast’ follows a group of police officers under Captain Lyès Benamar (Tewfik Jallab) who pull out all the stops to capture Franck Murillo (Nicolas Duvauchelle). As they scramble to get ahead of Franck’s drug trafficking network, the city of Marseille is threatened with being consumed by a brutal gang war. The expanse of Franck’s plans and the trouble that the lawkeepers face in thwarting them are reminiscent of the ‘Criminal Code’.

1. Narcos: Mexico (2018-2021)

‘Narcos: Mexico’ is a dramatized retelling of the origins of the Mexican drug war by series creators Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro. Set in the 1980s, it chronicles Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) taking the helm of the Guadalajara Cartel to unite the disorganized drug traffickers in the country under his empire. The development is witnessed by DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Michael Peña), who moves to the city with his family before realizing the overwhelming magnitude of the subject of his investigation.

Many parallels can be drawn between ‘Narcos: Mexico’ and ‘Criminal Code,’ starting from their setting in Latin American countries. Both narratives are inspired by real-world events and follow crimes that cross the borders of the country of origin, taking up resources of multiple law enforcement agencies and forcing their collaboration across nations to bring the perpetrators to justice.