1983

Very good acting and uncanny atmosphere. It may not be big-budget, but the mix of contemporary architectural details and somber exteriors will seduce you if you like this type of subdued, yet, misteriously absorbing political thriller. Never mind the dialogue, which I don't find necessary to enjoy the plot.

For me, it is the first series to watch dealing with events springing from the preservation of the Soviet bloc - I know some series-films dealing with the fictional results of WWII... And as a contemporary and still remembering how-what was it living under a so-called socialism, I could follow the events in "1983" with seemingly bigger understanding and those always living in a democratic country.

Yet, it is intriguing to combine oppression and spying with smartphones widespread among the population, and some other things related to technology, that is why the script includes some odd shifts and solutions. But as the performances are good (particularly the main male ones), the general story adds up, the mood is well captured and the country of origin is Poland (not some wealthy and known film-industy country), I can easily rate it with 8 points and recommend to all them fond of related topic.

Those who say "unwatchable" have probably never experienced the life unter the iron curtain, or do simply lack the imagination on how such life would be.

From my POV, it's a mostly consistent vision of how the alternative history might look like. Somewhere between USSR and GDR realities plus how the eastern contries aligned with technological progress in the 90ies.

Not giving all starts, though, because the movie set looked too clean compared to how real Poland looked in the 90ies, and subtle plot holes here and there and sometimes too naive side plots.

I have watched 4 episodes and so far I find it a good grim show. It's dark, disturbing and unpredictable. Worth giving a shot at least;)

Tl;dr: This might be one of the best depictions of Orwellian nature of corrupted government. The story paints the interesting picture of communism, nationalism and rebellion in their dark, deeply flawed natures. If that sounds like it might interest you, give it a try.

I loved: Excellent acting in main roles as well as their character development as the story progressed. Scenic design was awesome, lots of right angles and concrete and glass, typical of commie Europe. The story takes bunch of left turns along the way, develops on multiple fronts and keeps you guessing. Have anyone told me this was based on Tom Clancy's novel - I would have believed it.

I disliked: Plot is organically developing in discovery and further complicated by two timelines (83/03) which makes it hard to follow. Dialogues seem to lose something in translation at times, which isn't uncommon in foreign cinematography but makes me wonder who did Netflix target by this show.