Nemesis Review
Director: Mario Van Peebles, Millicent Shelton, Rob Hardy, and Ruben Garcia
Date Created: 2026-05-14 20:44
3.5
Nemesis Review: Created by Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole, this Netflix series is directed by Mario Van Peebles, Millicent Shelton, Rob Hardy, and Ruben Garcia. The eight-episode crime drama stars Matthew Law as Detective Isaiah Stiles and Y’lan Noel as Coltrane Wilder alongside Tre Hale, Cleopatra Coleman, Domenick Lombardozzi, Ariana Guerra, Gabrielle Dennis, Michael Potts, Sophina Brown, Jeff Pierre, and Cedric Joe. Each episode runs for around an hour.
Nemesis Review
Netflix’s Nemesis revolves around Detective Isaiah Stiles, an officer with the LAPD whose determination to catch a gang of highly skilled thieves has led to a gradual destruction of his own life. Isaiah is alienated from his wife, Candace, while hardly recognising his own son, since his only focus is on a case that has consumed his whole being. He is convinced that Coltrane Wilder, an esteemed businessman well-connected to the African American business sector, is operating a criminal robbery crew behind closed doors that has been carrying out some daring robberies in the city of Los Angeles.
The trouble is that Isaiah cannot prove anything, and this is making people question his sanity within his department. When things start going out of hand, and Coltrane is ready to pull off one final and major heist, the show becomes a deadly cat-and-mouse game between the two men.
Whenever there are clashes between Isaiah and Coltrane, things are at their best in this Netflix series Nemesis, instead of when there are melodramatic relationships among family members in the plot. Matthew Law plays the character of Isaiah perfectly. He is always portrayed as someone burdened with guilt about the past. In fact, his own guilt stems from his inability to take full responsibility for his former work partner’s death, which occurred in an earlier mission gone wrong. Isaiah is not a saintly hero either; his obsession sometimes gets the better of him.
Unlike this, Y’lan Noel infuses Coltrane Wilder with confidence and serenity. Coltrane is one of those criminals who relies on his wit and charisma rather than physical strength. Even in moments of tension and chaos, Coltrane never loses his cool, making him an effective antagonist. The fact that Coltrane is not a villain at heart made him even more intriguing. As it turns out, he wants to find a better path for himself, but he cannot due to his loyalty to his crew and the expectations of his entourage.
There are several things that make the Netflix Nemesis series a good show to watch, and one of these is how fast-paced it is. However, at the beginning of the show, the first few episodes might seem repetitive as the show does not hesitate to take inspiration from classics such as Heat. From the very start, you can anticipate where some parts of the plot will take you. For instance, the “obsessed detective against the meticulous criminal” theme is predictable throughout the entire show.
But when the Nemesis series moves beyond its introductory phase, it quickly becomes more enjoyable. The infighting that occurs among members of the gang, secret motives harboured by the police force, and changes in allegiance always keep things tense. I particularly liked how every minor character turns out to play a significant role in the overall plotline. Some of the smaller story lines that initially appear superfluous end up tying in with the main storyline in unexpected ways.
With that in mind, it must be noted that the writing itself is inconsistent, at times too emotional and does not work in certain parts of the story. In particular, the novel devotes much attention to Isaiah’s relationship with his father, Amos – a man who has a criminal background and whose actions have hurt his whole family. This father-son dynamic plays an important role in understanding the protagonist’s personality, but sometimes it feels like repetition. The same can be said about other aspects of romance and marriage.
The actual heists themselves are also a case of good and bad things, in my opinion. On a visual level, the majority of them are pretty stylish, with a lot of interesting sequences with guns, cars, and shootouts. I can see that the filmmakers really knew what they were doing here. Yet, in comparison to the best films about heists, there is simply not enough focus on the preplanning stages that go into executing the robberies.
As for the cast, they all give good acting performances, although it seems that some actors have better parts than others. In particular, Michael Potts gives one of the best supporting roles in the movie. It is amusing to watch him portray the irritated Isaiah’s superior. Another impressive actress here is Gabrielle Dennis, who plays Candace.
From a visual perspective, the show is able to capture the feel of Los Angeles. The setting of the show is gritty and full of danger, which works well with the tone of the show. Even though there are moments where the story gets messy, the show never fails to be engaging.
Netflix Nemesis Review: Summing Up
Ultimately, it’s hard not to conclude that the 2026 series Nemesis draws too heavily from other classics. However, I found myself getting more and more into the show as it continued on because of how well it plays into the chaos and continues to escalate things. While it’s not necessarily a game-changer in the genre, it’s certainly entertaining enough.
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