Crime and Justice Series Review: The Perfect Kenyan Original

The Rundown

Crime and Justice is a 2021 Kenyan crime anthology series directed by Adam Neutzsky-Wulff, and written by Pauline Inda, Anthony Nero and award-winning Kenyan filmmakers Brian Munene, Njue Kevin and Serah Mwihaki.

Set in Nairobi, Crime and Justice stars Sarah Hassan and Alfred Munyua as Makena and Silas, the Nairobi Metropol Police detectives tasked to safeguard the city that are at the heart of the show. Dealing with all manner of crime, they must learn to trust each other’s instincts in the pursuit of justice. The police procedural and legal drama is both Kenya’s first Showmax Original and Showmax’s first co-production with global broadcaster CANAL+.

It has also attracted a handful of guest stars including Maqbul Mohammed, Paul Ogola, Vikash Pattni, Brian Ogola, Brian Abajah, Martin Githinji, Justin Mirichii, Foi Wambui, Brenda Mwai and Fareed Khimani.

The Review

If you are a fan of popular anthology series such as Black Mirror and American Horror Story, be ready to sink your teeth into Crime and Justice.

The eight-episode series has received high critical acclaim for its compelling standalone storylines. With every episode, Crime and Justice has confronted difficult topical issues ripped-from-the-headlines cases, all the way through to the courtroom verdict.

Focus revolves around harassment, domestic violence, terrorism and financial crimes among others, while also exposing the limits of the justice system in Kenya – sometimes even the most diligent and relentless detectives, like Hassan’s Makena, can’t seem to make a breakthrough.

Makena (Hassan) is a great reminder of Claire Dane’s obsessive character as Carrie Mathison in hit series Homeland. Her dedication for hunting down criminals and pushing for justice to be served sometimes takes an emotional toll. However, things don’t always go her way and this brings the realness of Crime and Justice to its audience.

The series is such an intensely satisfying piece of streaming production that fans are already anticipating for a second season renewal. Crime and Justice is rated 18+ — expect a lot of nudity, sex, violence and drug scenes.

The Hits

• Outstanding production values.

• Exceptional cast perfectly suited for their roles.

• The series heavily relies on relatable societal issues.

• The bloody, violent scenes are a doozy to watch.

The Misses

• Action sequences just weren’t convincing.

• Some episodes are bad.

OMG Moment

• Every episode stood out in its own right.

All eight episodes of Crime and Justice are available to binge-watch on Showmax.