Invisible City (TV series)

Lore & Background

The series centers on Eric (Marco Pigossi), an environmental police officer who discovers a dead pink river dolphin on a Rio de Janeiro beach. This event leads him into a murder investigation and reveals a world of mythical entities from Brazilian folklore, including Cuca, Curupira, Iara, Saci, and others. Eric learns that his wife Gabriela's death is connected to these entities, and he eventually discovers he is half-entity himself, with the dead dolphin spirit Manaus being his father.

The main antagonist is Dry Body, the vengeful spirit of a dead anti-environmentalist who possesses Eric's daughter Luna and later Eric himself. Eric sacrifices his life to kill Dry Body, but is mysteriously revived in the final scene, implied to have been reborn as a full entity. The series was renewed for a second season on March 2, 2021, which was released on March 22, 2023, but was subsequently canceled by Netflix and will not return for a third season.

Reader's Guide

Invisible City is significant as a Brazilian fantasy series that brings Amazonian and Brazilian folklore to a global audience through Netflix. It received mixed to positive reviews, and while Netflix does not release audience numbers, the show was the most popular TV show on Netflix in Brazil and ranked in the top 10 in France, New Zealand, and Spain on February 13, 2021, according to What's on Netflix. FlixPatrol reported it was among the top 10 most popular series in 12 countries on the same day. The series' legacy lies in its representation of Brazilian mythological entities—such as the Curupira, Iara, and Saci—in a modern urban setting, and its exploration of environmental themes through the lens of fantasy. Its cancellation after two seasons leaves the story incomplete, but it remains a notable entry in Brazilian television and global streaming content.

Did You Know?

• The series is based on a story co-developed by best-selling authors Raphael Draccon and Carolina Munhóz.
• The main character Eric discovers he is half-entity, and the dead pink dolphin spirit Manaus is his father.
• Invisible City was the most popular TV show on Netflix in Brazil on February 13, 2021.