Caliphate (2020) User Reviews

Genuinely chilling drama with outstanding lead performances

[Ruskington · 8/10 · 25 May 2020]

At times, this was one of the most stressful TV shows I can remember watching. The sheer horror of the situation some of these characters find themselves in, coupled with how realistic their predicaments are, makes for some genuinely stomach-churning moments of suspense.

Caliphate features some incredible lead performances from Gizem Erdogan, Aliette Opheim and Amed Bozan. The character development of Husam is incredibly astute and Bozan's ability to portray the different facets of his subjects personality is mightily impressive. Drama shows have a tendency to compartmentalise major characters into good, bad and ugly but Husam is at once frightening, likeable and pitiful.

Some of the plot development is a little predictable and the final episode feels quite rushed. I was unconvinced by the way in which the Russian boys and Swedish girls were so easily manipulated and felt their function in the story was a little too convenient. Nevertheless, this is one of the most powerful shows I have seen in some time and another example of the high quality of Scandinavian TV and cinema.

Absolutely brilliant

[Vindelander · 9/10 · 22 March 2020]

Not often I give a 9 rating but this is a real nail biter right to the twisted end. Aliette Opheim is superb and the acting by all the cast is excellent. Intricate plot and very topical.

Can't understand any rating below 7 but then we all have our views. A must see in my book !!

Very accurate and immensely gripping

[maceoin · 9/10 · 6 April 2020]

As a former lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies, who has written a major report on radicalization in Muslim schools, and who has written many articles about radical Islam, I was worried that this series might be filled with all sorts of misunderstandings and inaccuracies and mistakes. In fact, it was well researched, down to subtle things such as distinguishing between jihad al-akbar and jihad al-asghar, using both terms in Arabic. And saying fard (duty) without translation. The portrayal of ISIS in Raqqa seemed to me most convincing, based as it was on authentic film and reportage. As the author of ten international thrillers (several bestsellers and three or four with Islamic themes), I found the tension well built, making many episodes nail-biting. The characters are well developed, if at times frustrating. I have taken one star off on account of the coincidences and other plot holes. Despite these, the series works in terms of character, pace, and plot lines. I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes well written and well performed drama that will keep one watching through the eight episodes with speed. As for the several people here leaving 3, 4, 5 or other low ratings, I would pay them no heed at all.

Super exciting! The Bridge Team did it again!

[peter-spengler · 10/10 · 10 November 2020]

Best IS terrorist thriller I ever saw. The script is great. So many twists which I did not see coming. Lies and betrayals of the islamists are unmasking. Plausible plot. Good actors. Good location scouting. Excellent! I am German and have to congratulate Sweden for eight great episodes. It is not a typical Swedish topic, like the Swedish crime story. Usually countries are fixed to sterotype stories - Italy/Mafia, Germany/Nazi/Stasi, UK/History/Rural mysteries etc. Great work from The Bridge team.

Great Swedish series

[elvindill-1 · 10/10 · 9 February 2020]

Definitely the best Swedish series I've seen (I live in Sweden) and among the best series about modern terrorism and young people's radicalization from any country. Well-acted, well-paced, nuanced, almost entirely believable.

Great watch!!

[jay-techie2007 · 9/10 · 14 January 2022]

Great watch. The series talks about the issue of youth radicalization, in this case by ISIS, in Europe which is often swept under the rug out of fear of being called "bigot".

The series highlights how the propaganda is used on the impressionable, emotional and sensitive minds of the high-school and college youngsters and make them believe things that don't exist. While some realize their mistake, when it is often late, others just never realize it.

The execution is quite good. Great watch!

Almost perfect thriller/drama

[patrik-852-485953 · 9/10 · 22 February 2020]

This production is one of the best thriller/drama series I've seen from Sweden.

Perfect pace, story, cutting and script.

The only negative I can say is that they could do a better job with the soundtrack.

It can easily be watched by an international audience and I'm really surprised about the quality that is up there with much larger Hollywood productions.

Kudos to everyone who participated in Kalifat.

This show really delivered!!

[restoreppl · 10/10 · 12 April 2020]

Was not expecting this!! The most intense drama I have seen since Breaking Bad. The last episode literally had me out of breath. This is a Swedish show but you can watch it on Netflix if you put it on an English-speaking setting. Really good story, spellbinding, and also has a lot of suspense. Well acted and delivers on every level.

This series is about my life

[mohamednabill · 10/10 · 30 August 2020]

I was like soly (solikha) an angry man who believes that the world is against Islam and I would like to Islam to spread

Ibrahim who recruited the young girls is in every culture this man who starts gradually to brain wash you and he is just a hypocrite

The series is real and happens everyday and the ending of season 1 is realistic

Islam is not a religion of terror but certain Muslims are terrorists depending on wrong interpretations of islam

Every westerner should watch

[amandria1 · 7/10 · 18 April 2020]

I love hove the step by step process of radicalizing girls and those that think they are doing god's bidding. I sometimes wonder how people fall for this and this does a good job of explaining the bait switch

Underrated Blockbuster

[johnphilips-be · 10/10 · 15 April 2020]

I had low expectations watching it as only a few people had rated this show but I went with my instinct as I love counter terrorism series like Homeland and Fauda. I was pleasantly surprised. Not even a dull moment, plenty of twists and plenty of action keeping me under thrilled pleasure all the time. People rate seasons like True detective and The Night Of with very high numbers but they are really slow moving expect the last 2 episodes. With Caliphate you never have a dull moment. If you are reading this, trust me, don't just go by the ratings, they will rise eventually, so, watch it and dont miss it. 10/10 is my score.

Fascinating culture insights

[grahamf-55542 · 7/10 · 6 January 2022]

It was a bit hard to get into the story but I was pleased I persisted. It became very promising after a couple of episodes. A good story, realistic characters, and - best of all - great insight into Muslim and also the Swedish culture.

Unfortunately the plot didn't really hold together towards the end, and I was left thinking it could have been a lot better.

But well worth watching.

Great until it got really stupid.

[kdogg-64613 · 4/10 · 27 December 2022]

I was hooked in the beginning. After the first four or five episodes it was really good. It wasn't perfect but it was good.

But the came episode six and the slow started slowly turning into sheer garbage.

The writing became bloody awful. The characters all became unbearably stupid. Whatever intelligence anyone had during the first few episodes just disappeared.

It's so disappointing to have what could have been a great series fall apart like this.

Don't understand why the reviews have to be so long now but I have to keep writing to meet the minimum characters.

The writing the last few episodes is trash.

It's good enough that I binged it in 2 days

[bagibbs · 8/10 · 19 April 2020]

Do not use the dub, watch it with subtitles. The acting is phenomenal! The storytelling believable yet unpredictable. I did not see the last few episodes coming and that says something. This series exceeds all expectations

[9.5] Does an 8-episode do it justice?

[cjonesas · 9/10 · 12 January 2021]

An amazing series where the subject, screenplay, plots and acting are so intense, gripping and well-done that they curl around your chest and throat, making you choke and gasping for air...

• (++) Outstanding charismatic play and acting by all the cast, especially by Pervin (best of all), Husam, Sulle, Kerima and Lisha. All of them did a memorable job with amazing acting and gripping facial expressions. Also, the sisters' parents acted so naturally that they deserve real recognition as well.
• (+) Superb and deep screenplay with enormous twists and turns, depicted near perfectly.
• (+) Unbelievable final episode with jaw-dropping events and happenings.

A contemporary matter amazingly brought to the screen and a huge effort put into it by the creative team of writers and producers.

Definitely deserves at least a season 2 with around 10-12 episodes.

Must be compulsory watching for everyone

[rraghib · 10/10 · 22 November 2021]

What the hell did you just made?? It's too good to be real. The authenticity the tension and the mental make up of every character is just so perfect. The way the story develops is so natural. They act so real and perfect that it never feels like acting. And the last episode is just pulsating. Some could say you left the stories of some characters, but for me it's a perfect ending.

Strong, gripping and terrifying!

[mattias_fr · 9/10 · 12 September 2020]

I'm no expert on what the situation looks like in real life today but this series really shook me. It was brilliant but left me with a feeling of nausea. It crawls under your skin, especially the part of the story that takes place in Syria. The acting is in some cases a bit shaky, except for the actors playing Pervin and Hussam, they were absolutely amazing!! I watched all the episodes in one day, I didn't intend to but it really got me and I couldn't stop. This is going to be one of the more gripping series you will see this year.

Riveting. Anchored by Gizem Erdogan's amazing central performance.

[Orlando_Gardner · 10/10 · 21 February 2021]

Shows like this, that grip you from the start and dont let go, are few and far between. It may cover well trodden ground, Islam jihadists etc, but it does so in a very personal way. There is the usual terrorist plot to try and stop but that's almost a side show here. The real story is about the very personal price paid by people who are touched by this. All the personal stories ring true and are brought to life by the able cast, especially Gizem Erdogan as Pervin who is exceptional. I honestly can't recommend this show highly enough.

Btw, only one season has been completed but you can rest assured that it can be watched almost as a mini-series. It ties up the majority of the story threads in the final episodes. I am hoping that there will be other seasons though. It's brilliant.

Very entertaining.

[aztekrille68 · 9/10 · 9 February 2020]

A very good serie about ISIS. Can't wait for next season.

Intriguing & Gripping !!

[madhukar30 · 7/10 · 13 October 2020]

In a world filled with dozens of overrated web series spread across various OTT platforms, this Swedish series "Kalifat" is a gem that will hold its ground on its own and would make it in the top web series list of 2020. Kilafat is genuinely authentic according to many reviewers here. The shows is decently paced and has several intriguing and gripping moments spread across 8 episodes.

The storyline is very realistic and tells the viewers about the recruitment strategy of ISIS on unsuspecting youngsters in Europe. Armed with a brilliant screenplay and well written characters, barring a few loopholes kalifat is a winner in every way. Music is very well handled and needs a special mention. Editing is subtle and very decent and keeps the suspense throughout. Kalifat has lot of good acting performances, doing lot of justice to the screenplay. Production design, makeup and costumes is decent. Yes, there are some logical loopholes in the series but they can be overlooked considering the overall brilliance.

Overall, Kalifat is a brilliant product that is very well crafted and presented. The web series is very informative and educative and is definitely a must watch to understand how these terrorist organisations recruit and organise. Kalifat is a winner and will fit among 2020's best. Awaiting season 2.

What a show. Thriller at its best

[abhisheksarkar901 · 10/10 · 21 March 2020]

Must watch. Every second of the shows just makes u glued to ur tv screen. It's unbelievable

You can't love a show if you loath the protagonist.

[allisonrosenberg-10235 · 7/10 · 31 May 2020]

A good show. Better than so much of the drivel on tv. But Caliphate aspires to much more than "good," and it falls flat on the character and dialogue written for the female protagonist. She's utterly unlikable, pushing her target - the captive young Swedish Muslim woman trapped in Raqqa - beyond all reason. Plot developments aren't believable in her drive, and she shows no redeeming characteristics. No warmth or self sacrifice. Just egoism. Screenwriting 101: your audience has to relate to your protagonist in some way. This proragonist is just unredeemable.

Great theme but Poor script and screenplay

[arunsrid · 4/10 · 4 May 2020]

Season 1 : The main character (Fatima, a woman cop in Sweden) isn't trusted by her colleagues, and she single-handedly co-ordinates with another Swedish woman named Perven (who is stuck in ISIS territory of Syria with her terrorist husband and baby), to gather information about terror attacks in Sweden, in exchange for rescuing her.

But it turns out in the climax that, the swedish police department knew about the terror attacks all along, but didn't want to tell the Fatima as they considered her incompetent and useless (which I feel she actually was). This is the worst ever script written for a thriller.

Finally in the climax, when Perven and her baby are about to escape, Fatima calls her and tells her to go back and save another young radicalized girl Lisha from Sweden who went to Syria. Perven begs her to drop this plan, but Fatima doesn't listen. Perven goes back only to find out that Lisha isn't interested to return to Sweden, and Lisha rats out Perven and her husband to ISIS terrorists, who kill Perven. (Seriously, I wish the dumb Fatima herself had died, instead of the brilliant Perven). In the end, Fatima ends up rescuing only the militant husband (i.e, the psychopath who had called his wife Perven unclean and anti-muslim, after Perven was raped by his friend Ahmed, who Perven killed during self-defense). The series is a disgusting turn-off. I gave 4 stars only for Perven, as she was the only sensible character amongst all other dumb characters in the whole season.

Tragic, thrilling, harshly realistic

[crosalieshillingford · 10/10 · 5 May 2020]

I couldn't stop watching this show, as every episodes ends in such a way that compels you to continue. There is no doubt that this is a thriller, however, it is also a sobering look at how women exist in some ISIS controlled towns. That perspective is then contrasted by the fierce protestations of a young Swedish girl towards the secularism of her parents and western civilisation.

The entire series revolves around three women, the woman who wants to escape the restrictions and dangers of her radical, religious state; the woman who is seduced by fundamentalism as she begins to question the hypocrisy of modern, secular society; and the agent who is racing to verify the news of an impending terrorist attack in Sweden. The relationship between all three women develops throughout the series, and it is tragic and thrilling. The performances are fantastic and the storyline is unhindered by cliches. Caliphate is a must watch.

Good!

[wissammarocko · 10/10 · 7 February 2020]

Very good swedish series! Very exiting and nerv reaconing!