Great acting, Borys Szyc was awesome. Good series, even for non-polish viewers. 8/10
16 Reviews
It was FUN!
paciu8126 December 2020
excellent
kingeider-189-3650784 August 2022
I agree with most of the reviewers here. This is a very well done series, the year is 1937, Poland, you gotta know what's coming, and the folks there are largely clueless of this danger, being involved in politcal and criminal intrigues of their own. Szapiro, Buddy, Radziwilek and his side kick Eduardo are all exellent characters. What a dynamic of opposing forces. I thought the interiors, scenery and costumes were good, too. If you are a fan of Sopranos, Umbre and Gommorah, this is another good one for you.
A good story told in a bizarre manner
qui_j16 March 2024
This is an above average series from Poland. It describes the situation before WW2, and deals with the struggle between a number of factions fighting for control of the city. It has multiple timelines and multiple tracks, but the narrative switches between them all in a chaotic manner. This results in the story being told in a very confused manner and makes it difficult for non-Polish viewers to maintain any sort of continuity with the story. Obviously, it helps if the viewer has some knowledge of the history of that era in Poland. A few of the scenes appear to be randomly stuck in among others, which also does not help provide a linear way to narrate a story. The series is quite good, but the way the story is told leaves much to be desired!
Outstanding
JackDuckworthsTechnoPigeon24 August 2021
Excellent series, I really enjoyed watching it. The plot is gripping from the start and keeps you engaged throughout, right up to the unexpected twist at the end. It manages to perfectly combine genres, with elements of both WW11 and gangster-type series. Historical references seem to be accurate.
Great acting by all involved, with particularly memorable performances by Michal Zurawski (Jakub Szapiro), Magdalena Boczarska (Ryfka Kij) and Borys Szyc, who is particularly sinister in his role as Janusz Radziwilek ("The Doctor").
Visuals are well done throughout, in particular some of the interior sets.
This is hands down the best European series of 2020/21, full credit to director Jan P. Matuszynski for creating a masterpiece. You don't need to understand Polish to enjoy it (I don't). English subtitles are available. Make the effort, it will not disappoint.
I would have enjoyed a second season but this seems unlikey as the plot reached a natural conclusion. As it stands, it is complete.
Great acting by all involved, with particularly memorable performances by Michal Zurawski (Jakub Szapiro), Magdalena Boczarska (Ryfka Kij) and Borys Szyc, who is particularly sinister in his role as Janusz Radziwilek ("The Doctor").
Visuals are well done throughout, in particular some of the interior sets.
This is hands down the best European series of 2020/21, full credit to director Jan P. Matuszynski for creating a masterpiece. You don't need to understand Polish to enjoy it (I don't). English subtitles are available. Make the effort, it will not disappoint.
I would have enjoyed a second season but this seems unlikey as the plot reached a natural conclusion. As it stands, it is complete.
EXCELLENT EPIC POLSKI SOPRANOS
alanl06-662-7702018 May 2022
Not for the faint hearted , this is a fantastic Polish Gangster/Political Intrigue series with an eclectic range of psycho killers and an excellent performance as the lead anti-hero and actually ALL of the actors . Couldn't stop watching it ....on episode 8 and torn between wanting to see what happens next and needing to go to sleep .
Polish Peaky Blinders comes good in the end but sacrifices drama for Tarantino-esque violence
ok_english_bt14 August 2023
In some ways, Jan P. Matuszynski crime noir 'Król' (or 'The King Of Warsaw') is as enjoyable as dramas set around the same time period like 'Peaky Blinders' and 'Babylon Berlin'. The adaptation of Szczepan Twardoch's best-selling novel for Canal+ doesn't flinch from its themes of gangland violence and the struggles of Warsaw's criminal underworld prior to the outbreak of WWII. But while the other two series allow their stories and characters to develop, Krol plays out over just one 8-episode season, and it looks like some of the drama was lost in all the blood-curdling violence. A major blood-letting appears to occur each episode, fair enough I suppose in a picture about crime and gangs, but the ominous rise of Fascism and the social and political upheaval it caused all over Europe are integral to the story. Its characters are a mix of fiction and history, so it would be a mistake to gloss over the dramatic detail of the story, and in fact a surprising choice given that Twardoch co-wrote many of the series' episodes.
'Król' is still impressive with its recreation of street scenes, cafes and bars and places depicting the cultural life of Warsaw during such a combustible time in the city's history. The acting is top notch, too, with Michal Zurawski excellent lead as boxer Jakub Shapiro chief enforcer for his gangster socialist boss Buddy Kaplica (played by Arkadiusz Jakubik), and notable performances among many of the ensemble cast, particularly Aleksandra Pisula who plays Jakub's long-suffering wife Emilia and a stylish performance by Lena Gora as the chief prosecutor's daughter Anna Ziembinska who Jakub has an affair with.
Personally, out of the 3 dramas, I thought 'Babylon Berlin' dealt with the historical period in a more authentic way than the other 2. For 'Król' that may be a missed opportunity, something which the series fails to address properly until the final episode. Poland had the highest Jewish population of any European country prior to the World War II, about 3 million, of which 374,000 lived in Warsaw. 85% of Polish Jews were murdered by the Nazis. You can get tired of all the violence in 'Król', but the real drama comes right at the end as a result of a decision Jakub makes which impacts profoundly and tragically on his family as Jews. So, my advice to the makers would be either increase the budget of the picture to make more episodes and seasons, or scale back some of the expensive 'effects' like the violent stunts and street scenes, concentrate on the story instead. You can still admire 'Król' as a beautifully conceived period drama and social history entangled with gritty gangland violence, but be patient as the storyline doesn't really comes good until the end!
To cap it all, marvel at composer Atanas Valkov's soundtrack of themes around the sounds of Jewish music created with traditional instruments like the zither, which adds a musical slowburn and energy to the unfolding events, and provides a neat sonic 'thread' that runs throughout the series.
'Król' is still impressive with its recreation of street scenes, cafes and bars and places depicting the cultural life of Warsaw during such a combustible time in the city's history. The acting is top notch, too, with Michal Zurawski excellent lead as boxer Jakub Shapiro chief enforcer for his gangster socialist boss Buddy Kaplica (played by Arkadiusz Jakubik), and notable performances among many of the ensemble cast, particularly Aleksandra Pisula who plays Jakub's long-suffering wife Emilia and a stylish performance by Lena Gora as the chief prosecutor's daughter Anna Ziembinska who Jakub has an affair with.
Personally, out of the 3 dramas, I thought 'Babylon Berlin' dealt with the historical period in a more authentic way than the other 2. For 'Król' that may be a missed opportunity, something which the series fails to address properly until the final episode. Poland had the highest Jewish population of any European country prior to the World War II, about 3 million, of which 374,000 lived in Warsaw. 85% of Polish Jews were murdered by the Nazis. You can get tired of all the violence in 'Król', but the real drama comes right at the end as a result of a decision Jakub makes which impacts profoundly and tragically on his family as Jews. So, my advice to the makers would be either increase the budget of the picture to make more episodes and seasons, or scale back some of the expensive 'effects' like the violent stunts and street scenes, concentrate on the story instead. You can still admire 'Król' as a beautifully conceived period drama and social history entangled with gritty gangland violence, but be patient as the storyline doesn't really comes good until the end!
To cap it all, marvel at composer Atanas Valkov's soundtrack of themes around the sounds of Jewish music created with traditional instruments like the zither, which adds a musical slowburn and energy to the unfolding events, and provides a neat sonic 'thread' that runs throughout the series.
Amazing - European gangsters in 1937
allegro-zielonekorale22 November 2020
Certainly not even close to the Peaky Blinders league
rybicki-robert29 November 2020
Interesting story but very poorly made. Everything is hurting eyes: clean cut costumes, unconvincing acting, predictable dialogues, etc. If anyone likes these kind of stories and have seen Peaky Blinders then they will not be able to watch more than one episode. Beautifully wasted great potential for a superb film.
Fantastic
geoffreywealthy24 May 2022
Poland shows the USA and the UK how to make a great TV show ,no PC ,,no woke ,,just a real historical series no box ticking just great acting and a fabulous story that had me guessing until the end ,,,the sets the realism, all first class ,don't miss this show.
How do you you like this guy?
Poster-Boy21 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
From the very beginning you are somehow drawn to the main character. Even to the end when you find what a contemptible evil person he was there is a sympathy for him.
Some may complain about sets or costumes or something wrong with historical details. But, the acting, the writing, the plot, is simply super.
This film knocks it out of the park!!
Some may complain about sets or costumes or something wrong with historical details. But, the acting, the writing, the plot, is simply super.
This film knocks it out of the park!!
Astonishing
philipfoxe13 July 2022
When I saw this series I was mightily impressed. The production standards are so high. I then bought the book, which, though excellent is superseded by the series. The mood, passion and desperation of the book are preserved entirely but the changes, if anything enhance it. Some issues are clarified and I would recommend the book as an adjunct.
Amazing story, very sticky
captbobalou26 January 2023
The show brings to life pre-war Warsaw in a way that I couldn't shake. I always wondered where the attitudes of the Polish side of our family came from and the character and plot depictions in this story helped to explain it.
The story was skillfully told, parts of it dragged a bit (hence the 9 instead of 10 rating), but I couldn't stop watching in sections 7 and 8: themes began to gel and the ending blew me away.
The pacing reminded me of a Mark Helprin epic: it's a big story, with lots of entwined characters all building towards a revelatory ending that leaves you questioning a lot of things about your own life: what is true? What is so traumatic you invent another truth? How does that affect those around you (family, community, country)? Deep themes, interesting story, great plot, good acting/production: this has it all.
Parts are graphically violent which made it a no-go for my wife, but for me it only underscored how brutal life was in the pre-war period. Highly recommend this.
The story was skillfully told, parts of it dragged a bit (hence the 9 instead of 10 rating), but I couldn't stop watching in sections 7 and 8: themes began to gel and the ending blew me away.
The pacing reminded me of a Mark Helprin epic: it's a big story, with lots of entwined characters all building towards a revelatory ending that leaves you questioning a lot of things about your own life: what is true? What is so traumatic you invent another truth? How does that affect those around you (family, community, country)? Deep themes, interesting story, great plot, good acting/production: this has it all.
Parts are graphically violent which made it a no-go for my wife, but for me it only underscored how brutal life was in the pre-war period. Highly recommend this.
Bad and boring
Maremartea6 December 2020
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