Kein böser Traum

As "Just One Look" (2025 release from Poland; 6 episodes ranging from 41 to 52 min.) opens, a prisoner asks to meet with a prosecutor. The prisoner confesses to killing the prosecutor's daughter in a botched hit scheme. In a parallel story, we are introduced to Greta. Greta has a recurring nightmare about a fire and an indoor concert that killed 28 people... At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this TV mini-series is based on the book of the same name by prolific Polish crime novelist Harlan Coben. The story line is complex and involves quite a few characters. It took me well into Episode 2 before it finally started coming together for me. The entire series is plot-heavy, with quite a few turns and twists, so the less said about that, the better. The episodes are fairly short, and this flew by in no time. This is not bad as such but as compared to that other Polish min-series I watched the other day called "Eastern Gate", this lags behind.

"Just One Look" recently started streaming on Netflix and Netflix "suggested" it to me (probably because I watched "Eastern Gate" also just recently). If you are in the mood for a TV crime mini-series set in Poland, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Coben's books are all eerily alike, and sadly, this movie adaption is no exception. Boring and formulaic from the get go, it never recovers. No character development, subtlety or surprises. I tried hard to ignore my prejudice against American crime fiction (James Patterson being the worst offender). At least Coben seems to write the books himself, but at this stage I reckon I could write the next one... maybe an easy way to make those elusive millions without actually having to put in the hard work? Dreams are free...however, I'd be boring myself, I've read too many excellent - predominsnzly British - whodunnits. By all accounts, American audiences are looking for different fare.

Another story with so many holes. Frustrating the viewer as they ponder through the scenes as to whether this or that would happen. Could be so much better. Whether the author or the producers I get the impression one does not get out much. Usual bring in a pretty main character a bit of sex an old prosecutor and make a mix and hope. Watch if you like murder mystery but do not expect much. So many errors. A prison inmate on the loose that the police can't catch and seem to be impotent. No reason for all the scenes. No connections between characters. A story that gets worse as you watch. Directed as in the 70's but set today.

This Polish mini-series had me hooked from the beginning, and I thought it was excellent. The bad reviews I read came from people who didn't understand the story. Everything is very well explained at the end, all the crimes and all the murders. The actors are excellent, especially the main actress. But besides her, the characters are very well defined, such as her best friend and the police chief. An extremely tense series, with evil personified by an extremely violent criminal and an elegant and perverse lawyer. A mini-series that deserves to be watched in a marathon. Forget these negative comments.

It's pretty much exactly what I'd expect after watching two other adaptations of his books. (I find them frustrating and silly but treat them like a guilty pleasure from time to time.) He's got a formula, which makes certain plot points very predictable. Certain characters always make foolish, questionable choices. The people mentioning the fact that this one is Polish are revealing themselves. It's so similar to Fool Me Once. If you think that one was great and this was horrible, and if you complain about the Polish names and can't spell the name Jacek when we saw and heard it ad nauseam, that's a "you" issue.