Miami Vice
1984
Original language: English
- crime
- drama
The story
The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking and prostitution, centered on the unlikely partnership of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs - who first meet when Tubbs is undercover in a drug cartel.
What it’s like
Neon-soaked nights and pastel-suited daylight, shot on film with a restless handheld camera that drifts through marinas, nightclubs and humid warehouse lots, the sea and sky often washed a hazy pink-blue under the Florida sun. The sound is synth-driven: a pulsing, glossy electronic score by Jan Hammer alongside pop cuts that give the episodes a music-video sheen, with the cars and boats humming through long night drives. Its vibe is sleek, sun-bleached and melancholy beneath the glamour, a stylish crime world where the cool surfaces hide real weariness. The rhythm is brisk, with dense action set pieces and undercover sequences that stretch into slow, watchful tension. Violence is present and occasionally sudden, including shootings and fights, with some drug-related menace and sexual themes handled in a grown-up way, but nothing excessively gory. It suits late-night viewing alone, a nostalgic 1980s binge, or a stylish weekend watch. It is for viewers who love atmosphere, neon-lit aesthetics, and a buddy-cop partnership that carries as much feeling as it does action.
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