Business is Business Tells the Biggest Financial Scandal in Germany, from Netflix

The first image is of a clear sky. Suddenly, the bills start raining: Euros falling in a glorious slow-motion sequence.

A voiceover announces: “This is a series about the biggest financial scandal in German history: CableCash. He defrauded his investors and the state for billions of euros. The similarities with other cases of fraud are purely coincidental “.

That’s how it starts Business is business, the German Netflix miniseries inspired by real events. The company, which had another name and claimed to be the future of the financial sector, was selling digital payment solutions in the cloud in more than 40 countries. It happened in Europe, but its story could be like that of a local company, offering cryptocurrencies backed by gold or similar.

The adaptation of the real case

The fictional story, with some documentary skits, begins with CableCash going public and is built on the foundation of its two creators: CEO Magnus Cramer (Matthias Brandt) and his partner Felix Armand (Thomas Schubert).

As the company was just a digital bank for criminals, they decided to take some unsanctified methods to build trust with investors and regulators.

From that start, the episodes aren’t just about revealing how and when the fellowship will fall (we all know the higher you go, the harder the blow will be).

Creators Philipp Käßbohrer and Matthias Murmann explain their humor and bite to show us how unhappy humans can be when the carrot of money and power is placed in front of us.

A satire on the corporate world

Business is businesswhich in other countries has been translated as Bad deal, not only satirizes the corporate and financial world, but also an entire rotten society: journalists, officials who seem to seek justice but want their share, and former employees seeking revenge. That look is anything but condescending. “Humans are just a herd of primates,” says a snippet in the first few minutes of the series.

The rhythm of the narration is intense and with the fixed idea of ​​impact, which arises from a given, a wink with humor or a “leap” to the German reality. As in his other creation, How to sell drugs online (fast)Käßbohrer and Murmann don’t deal with the master plan for a scam, something that is extensively developed in other series and films, but rather with the dynamics of their protagonists.

Characters

There is the character of Cramer, unbearably self-centered and narcissistic, always on the brink of the abyss. And Felix, the soul behind the innovation, with anxiety attacks and hungry ambitions like those of his boss, only quieter.

Those quirky characters, who get crazier as the series progresses, do Deal… don’t get monotonous, even if you have some scenes left.

Its authenticity lies in humor and refined portrayal of personalities, beyond the background of financial fraud, something the viewer might even forget.

In short: it is the story of two pompous charlatans without a legitimate client; a couple of guys who would do anything to make exorbitant sums.

That cocktail, along with the ingredients of political corruption and money laundering, works as an excuse to spend a couple of hours in front of the screen.

File

Qualification: Good.

Genre: Crime and humor.

Protagonists: Larissa Sirah Herden, Andreas Döhler, Thomas Schubert and Matthias Brandt.

Creators: Philipp Käßbohrer and Matthias Murmann.

Problem: Netflix.

Duration: six forty-minute episodes.

Just because? Inspired by true events, the series is a fun cocktail of shady deals, audacity and humor.

mfb