X
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
Summary The four-part drama inspired by Deborah Feldman's memoir, Esther "Esty" Shapiro (Shira Haas) flees her Hasidic Brooklyn home for Berlin, while her husband Yanky (Amit Rahav) and his cousin Moische (Jeff Wilbusch) seek to bring her back.
Created By: Anna Winger, Alexa Karolinski
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 2020
- TV-MA
- Netflix
Unorthodox
Season 1 Premiere: Mar 26, 2020
85
7.4
Where to Watch
Summary The four-part drama inspired by Deborah Feldman's memoir, Esther "Esty" Shapiro (Shira Haas) flees her Hasidic Brooklyn home for Berlin, while her husband Yanky (Amit Rahav) and his cousin Moische (Jeff Wilbusch) seek to bring her back.
Created By: Anna Winger, Alexa Karolinski
Where to Watch
All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 11 Critic Reviews
85
91% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
9% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 11 Critic Reviews
85
91% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
9% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
"Unorthodox" is an achievement of searing power and grace, attuned to big, sweeping emotions and small, observational moments in equal measure. ... This is one of the major achievements in the history of Netflix original productions. You cannot miss it.
All along, “Unorthodox” builds a steady emotional tapestry that culminates in its bracing finale scenes, when the stakes at hand matter less than the way each character processes their decisions. Yet none of those circumstances would hit too hard if not for the undercurrent of authenticity brought by Haas at the center of nearly ever scene. The 24-year-old actress is an instant sensation who commands every moment she’s on screen.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 112 User Ratings
7.4
79% Positive
89 Ratings
89 Ratings
9% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
12% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 112 User Ratings
7.4
79% Positive
89 Ratings
89 Ratings
9% Mixed
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
12% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
I really enjoyed this four-parter. It kept up entertained and the acting is top-notch.
Report
What's worse than peer pressure? Everybody pressure! There's a lot to love here. If you like peeking into different worlds, you have a couple here. If you're find charm in cultural quirks... If you have empathy for the vulnerable, this will stress you out. If you admire bravery, Esther will inspire you. Control? Compassion? Struggle. Transcendence?
The story is great, the acting is great, the camera beautiful and intimate, the direction excellent.
Just under four hours allows you deep in, but keeps things from bogging down.
Really wonderful.
Report
Information about Esty’s background leaks out little by little. ... That approach is one of the things that makes Unorthodox — which is both a character study and, once Yanky and his dodgy cousin Moishe (Jeff Wilbusch) try to track Etsy down in Germany, a pseudo-thriller — so arresting. ... Haas gives an extraordinary performance here.
What unfolds is a story of personal discovery with the intensity of a spy thriller. ... Haas is a phenomenon, expressive and captivating.
The show’s plot is not always as convincing as its characters; the centrality of the conservatory to Esty’s storyline, in which it functions as a social hub, a source of hope and on one occasion an overnight shelter can feel especially contrived. Yet, thanks in large part to uniformly fine performances, creators Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski render each character’s constantly shifting emotional states with rare precision.
There's a tremendous intimacy here as, sometimes in a very literal sense, you're being let behind a curtain. And in that intimacy, buoyed by language code-switching from Yiddish to English to German, Unorthodox finds a lot of humanity, even in the characters who are surely villains. That plus the vulnerable-then-fierce performance from Haas allowed me to put aside other reservations and find fascination in this occasionally wobbly, often inspiring story.
While "Unorthodox" has rich cultural detail in presenting this community back in Williamsburg, the tragic note it hits remains the same. In this story, religion is presented as a joyless life sentence. That’s an entirely welcome depiction whether one agrees with it or not, it’s more that it flattens out the story when it comes to making a challenging world or set of characters, and makes Esty's liberation all the more obvious.
The story is nothing new, a young adult escaping its conservative roots. But it's done in such a gentle fashion, going hand in hand with Berlin's spirit of naïve openness, carefree teenage rebelious freedom, that it doesn't fall (too much) into pathos. "Berlin, Icke liebe Dir" (wink wink).
Report
Where it’s good, it's excellent 10/10. The portrayal of the Hasidic in Williamsburg was about as real as you can get. Where it faltered was the fairy tale in Berlin. It all seems a bit made up and convenient. Plot holes and cringy performances on behalf of the hip lib Euro friends grated. Still entertaining and enjoyable overall. The physical appearance of the lead actress and her devotion to her role was exemplary. The character of Moshe is most fascinating. I speak a little German and was surprised at myself I could follow a lot of the Yiddish. I’m giving points for that.
Report
Unorthodox's thematic elements, emotional storytelling, and eye-opening presentation of orthodox culture create a captivating drama of freedom and rebirth. However, despite its moments of beauty and intrigue, Unorthodox fails to live up to its full potential. Acting is a mixed bag, with some performances boarding on perfection and some boarding on cringe-worthy. The overall narrative, while inspiring, relies too much on over-the-top dramatic flair at expense of credibility and pacing. But the only place where Unorthodox truly fails its audience is in its ending where it fails to provide proper resolution and leaves too many questions unanswered.
Report
Compelling story and decent cast, but nowadays I tend to research any 'based on true events' shows/movies I watch and oh boy was this one conveniently changed for the purposes of telling an even more 'compelling' story than the real deal. I mean they made evil people of orthodox Jews who actually weren't that bad. Yes orthodoxy creates isolationism, but FFS nobody actually ever chased her with guns to Germany...like nobody...stop diminishing women's successes by adding BS to real great stories.
Report
Production Company:
- Studio Airlift
- Real Film Berlin
Initial Release Date: Mar 26, 2020
Number of seasons: 1 Season
Rating: TV-MA
Genres:
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 2 Nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 1 Win & 8 Nominations
Online Film & Television Association
• 6 Nominations
