What Is ‘Invisible City’ Based On? The Mythology Behind the Series Explained

Netflix’s “Invisible City” has captured the imaginations of fans worldwide with its take on fantasy, folklore, and mystery. The Brazilian series follows the story of a man named Eric who discovers a hidden world of mythical creatures living among us in modern-day Rio de Janeiro after his wife’s tragic passing. As the show unfolds, Eric finds himself drawn deeper into a world of magic and danger, uncovering dark secrets and unraveling ancient myths and the deadly creatures behind them. There is a plethora of series dealing with similar themes. Still, Invisible City stands out because it was based on different concepts and included different myths, so what was Invisible City based on? 

Invisible City was based on the original idea by Raphael Draccon and Carolina Munhóz. Still, they were heavily inspired by Brazilian folklore, the effect humans have on the environment, and how that mythical world of fantasy creatures would be affected by it. It’s a unique and intriguing show that brings to life the mythology we don’t see on our screens often enough.

Now that we’ve covered the main inspiration behind Invisible City, it’s time to analyze the series in more detail. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!

Invisible City offers us a glimpse into a modern world that we share with mythical beings

The story of Invisible City begins simple enough. Within the first few moments, we witness several deaths. Even though those deaths are years apart, they are connected. The show focuses on Eric, an officer whose wife’s death we witnessed at the show’s beginning. Gabriela dies in an unexplained fire. 

Sometime after her death, another unexplained thing happens. Eric finds a pink dolphin on the beach, a creature thought to be extinct for some time now. He attempts to rescue the pink dolphin but instead finds the dead man’s corpse in his trunk. 

Soon after, Eric’s life is turned upside down as he is drawn into a world he thought was only a fantasy, a product of stories about campfires.  

 He is introduced to witches, shapeshifters, and ancient curses. He tries to be as rational as possible, but the evidence surrounds him. It’s an interesting concept. What would happen if mythological beings tried to blend into our modern world? That’s what creators Raphael Draccon and Carolina Munhóz set to uncover throughout the show. 

Invisible City draws heavily from Brazillian folklore

Invisible City is not merely a fantasy story. It is an idea created by Raphael Draccon and Carolina Munhóz. Brazilian folklore heavily influenced them, and they managed to translate it to the screen beautifully. All sorts of fantasy creatures appear in the show. During the show’s early moments, we see the so-called Curupira, a guardian of the forest that tends to turn bloodthirsty when it considers itself endangered, with the ability to emit flames from its Body. 

There is also Iara, a beautiful mermaid of legends that has the ability to pull men into the sea. Of course, no fantasy show is complete without witches, o rather a boogeyman, and Invisible City has that too, in the shape of Inês, who is a resident Cuca with an amazing ability to mess with people’s minds with her voice.

The main villain of the series is likewise a creature pulled straight from the pages of Brazilian legends. An entity called “Dry Body.” An undead creature that was cursed to wander the Earth forever after its death due to unspeakable crimes committed during life. Dry Body is capable of possessing living people, and the curse is several decades old and connected to an old feud. 

Our protagonist Eric is not without magic in his blood either. He eventually finds out that the pink dolphin, or rather a man behind this shapeshifting encantado, is his father. Encantado is, according to legends, a dolphin shapeshifter who has the tendency to seduce and impregnate women. And this is what happened to Eric’s mother, although it was something that was kept from him for most of his life. 

Environmentalism was likewise a big influence on the series

From the earliest moment of the show, we see what detrimental influence humans can have on nature, and the curse of the Dead Body originated from the feud with the guardian spirit of the forest, Curupira. Throughout the series, Dry Body poisons nature, and the jungle, resulting in the death of flora, fauna, and even fish. The series nods toward environmentalism, telling the story of human greed and destruction through the metaphor of “Dry Body,” a curse of greed and ruination. 

Invisible City is not based on a true story but on real fantasy stories originating in Brazil and similar cultures. It brings the mythological beings to life in modern-day Brazil and what kind of impact our way of life would have on their lives that are more in-tune with nature.