Subteran

Disappointing and Misplaced, Judging by the premise and the genre, I thought this show had potential. However, right from the first episode, it becomes clear what kind of series this really is. It feels more like a telenovela than the drama-packed crime triller you'd expect from Netflix. Honestly, I hope this doesn't become a trend for the platform. Throughout the entire watch, you get the impression that this series belongs on a lesser-known local TV channel - one of those shows that's there just to fill airtime. It leans heavily toward drama, and while the dramatic elements are very present, they overshadow everything else. I ended up fast-forwarding through parts of it, and to be honest, I wasn't impressed. Definitely not worth the hype or the platform it's on.

Look, I wasn't expecting another Umbre, especially given this production's budget. However, I have an issue with what this mini-series tries-and fails-to be: a representation of Romania's underground (SUBTERAN) landscape.

In short, the show feels more like a theatrical play than an authentic portrayal of Romanian street life, or Romanian every-day life for that matter.

The writing is weak, but what truly puts me off is the delivery of the lines. Florin Piersic Jr. And Cezar Grumazescu are far from convincing in their roles. Their dialogue is delivered with such perfect pronunciation that it feels like they've never heard anyone speak outside an academic setting.

The world-building remains largely untapped. Bucharest, the city where the story unfolds, barely impacts the narrative, aside from a few run-down houses scouted to create a superficial illusion of an Eastern European "ghetto." It couldn't be further from the truth.

Watch just one episode of Umbre, and the difference is clear: authenticity. From set design to language, pronunciation, and costume design, Umbre gets it right. Dressing Florin Piersic Jr. As a stereotypical Italian-wannabe-mobster doesn't make him a believable character.

Ironically, Alex Velea (a local Romanian trapper) delivers a more authentic performance in a minor role, simply by playing himself.

As far as crime series go this one checks all the boxes. Crime lord. Corruption everywhere. Not knowing who to trust. Undercover police. People getting caught up in the mess. Money. Drugs.

The mix is....... fine enough if you don't overthink it. Yes, entire thing was clearly done on a budget. Yes, stuff is resolved via handwavium. Yes, acting can be a bit clunky at times.

It's not a particularly bad series if you are looking for non-English speaking shows, it's just not that great in the end.

It's worth a watch if you have time to kill and nothing better lined up but you'll likely forget it once it's done.

Subteran offers a straightforward and somewhat predictable plot, aiming for broad international appeal. However, this simplicity may leave some viewers wanting more depth. The Romanian cast, though well-known, often seems mismatched with the script, which might have been translated from English, resulting in unnatural dialogue. This detracts from the overall authenticity, especially when characters speak in ways that don't fit their roles. While the intent to attract international platforms like Netflix is clear, the execution falls a bit short, making it feel somewhat overrated. Nonetheless, it's a step towards increasing Romanian visibility in global media.

I am no specialist at all, but I am guessing they had a small budget, as usual :), and they did what they could.

First things first, the title and story look so cool, the implementation and the acting is not :(.

Sure I have to compare it to "Umbre" which let's be honest the first two episodes were not quite the best, but after it got traction it was wow.

Some of the actors from "Umbre" actually play small roles here, too small for their size. :).

I don't understand one thing, some of the actors try to be as real as possible, by cursing and acting street like, in contrast the other guys are so polite and play cheap theater.

I respect that they have tried, and I wish they will continue and improve 10X, but season 1's scenario is very faulty unfortunately, and goofy. Things like how stupid the bad guys can be to dress tattooed guys in policemen, or to break into the police station so easily and get away.

I hate this holywoodish style where thieves have superhero intelligence and power over policemen (it's very unreal) (compare it with "Umbre" and by the way I am not a police man :) nor that I care about them) The acting: bad :(.

Ana could have done much better, she is a good actress.

"Florin Piersica JR"...well way bad, doe not even compare with any bad boss I have seen in "Umbre" and sorry for the repettive comparison, I am sure the budgets were different but I still feel that even with less money you can do genius work, and romanians can do that. :) Madalina and Andreea played in "Umbre" and wow how they played and here they were given almost nothing to play...maybe the intend was to rise new stars like Irina and Cosmin, which were not bad. ;) Overall I give it a 5 to encourage more of this content, maybe with a better more complicated plot and a 10X better implementation :)).