Black Space (2020– ) User Reviews

No One to Root For

[dansview · 6/10 · 1 June 2021]

An entire school of dirty, smelly, drunken, stoned, cynical and amoral teens? Even the one kid with a respectable demeanor is a drug dealer and a forgery expert. Add in administrators who bury their heads in the sand, and a morose detective with a grudge that we never even get the full back story on.

Having said all that, I did like the concept of a middle aged detective assigned to a case at his old high school, and incorporating a handicap issue.

The plot was too hard and vague for me to follow. I watched it all and I still don't fully understand who did it and why. That's not a good sign.

The description mentions a small town, but it's clearly not. That is a big mistake. This is an urban setting that is obviously in a fairly upscale, secular area of Greater Tel Aviv. The urban aspect is part of what alienates the kids. Because there is no small town vibe.

By not including any normal kids, you get the sense that the entire student body is disaffected. That is not realistic.

Nevertheless, the actors played their parts convincingly, and our lead's intensity mixed with care was intriguing.

Doesn't quite pull it off...

[canuckteach · 7/10 · 29 July 2021]

I am a fan of the other Israeli shows/series at Netflix, but this gets a 7... tops. Although the acting was fine, the student characters were all unlikeable-some of them were borderline psycho. Most of them were from upper-middle class families as well, but if this presentation is any resemblance to the reality in modern Israel, the Palestinian Arabs should give up the struggle and let these guys crumble in moral wreckage.

The story begins with a shooting at a school ceremony in the gym. Like others here, I was confused by the motive. Someone wanted revenge on a group of bullies who had tormented a young male (probably gay) student who later committed suicide, but the first 2 shot at the ceremony were a duet (singer, guitar-player) who had nothing to do with the earlier bullying incident. Hence, no one would link the gym-shooting to a revenge ploy. The writers must have overlooked that glitch, or struggled with rewrites & lost their way. I also wonder that the school had lax security (one cop at the gate), as I am told that the Israelis have around the clock security wherever people gather.

Despite all that, I persevered mainly to see how things would work out for Rami Davidi, a top cop, who spends way too much time on the job, investigating this case, and neglecting his pretty, and very pregnant, wife. He seems to turn heroic at the end, counselling one of the guilty participants, but, in reality, I think his life & marriage are on the rocks. 7/10 but there are other mini-series from the area (like Fauda) that have better characterization and more suspense.

A Unique story

[jlwalker19-1 · 8/10 · 7 June 2021]

I can understand the criticisms of this TV series. Yes some of this story is highly implausible. However, I don't necessarily watch movies or TV series to get a pure dose of reality. I live reality every day. A lot of entertainment is just made up stuff that wouldn't happen, but allows the viewer to escape into the story anyway.

First of all, this is the most unique TV series I have ever seen. Second, it was very suspenseful and kept me guessing for most of the season. I was entranced by the events as they unfolded and couldn't stop watching. Some of the scenes were downright creepy, especially the ones with masks.

Even the last couple of episodes that I guess were supposed to wrap it all up were, well, I'm not sure how to describe them. Let's just say they failed to explain the basic question, "Why" and left a lot of questions unanswered. However I was hooked to the end and only guessed correctly once, which was that Libby, in my conclusion, was behind most of what happened, or at least right there involved completely as an accomplice. I think she was the one who used the voice modifier to put out the messages, although that is never really revealed in the whole season.

Will there be a second season? Maybe as Libby managed to escape somehow and walk away. Personally I don't think there will be another season, but if there is, I will definitely watch it. Flaws and all, I found this TV series very entertaining.

Also, just to mention it, I thought the actors did a great job, even if they did look too old to be high school students. The actors playing adults played their parts well too. .

A solid Israeli crime drama

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 15 June 2021]

This Israeli drama opens as a ceremony is taking place in a high school; it is interrupted when three or four people wearing unicorn masks start shooting at the students. Four are killed. The building is quickly locked down and three Palestinian workers are promptly arrested... however there is no sign of the weapons or masks and Rami Davidi, the policeman leading the investigation is not convinced of their guilt. He believes the killers are amongst the students. As the investigation progresses we learn more about the various students leading to suspects emerging. We also learn about our protagonist; notably how he lost an eye while he was a student at the same school.

I found this to be a gripping series. The characters are interesting and the identity of the killers isn't too obvious. Davidi is good lead characters, Guri Alfi does an impressive job in the role, his backstory adds to his character without distracting from the main story. The rest of the cast are pretty solid too. The ending is perhaps a little melodramatic but not overly so. It must also be said that the student characters are mostly fairly unsympathetic; even those we know to be innocent. Overall this is a good, tense series and would recommend it despite some faults.

These comments are based on watching the series in Hebrew with English subtitles.

It was interesting

[WeWatchMovies · 30 May 2021]

You want to figure out who did it and why, but it was kind of hard to differentiate actors sometimes because the girls looked alike and the names. Once the detective figured out it was students we really stayed with it because ...who were the four and why????? The dubbing was a pain because they were English speaking accents instead of Israeli so we had to keep rewinding to understand who said what. When we finally get to the end and see who did it, it was a bummer, because the reasoning was not sound and so it seemed like they did it for a stupid reason, ughhh came undone for us. But it was good enough for us to stay up late to keep watching haha so there you go!

A Welcome Israeli Thriller

[albertval-69560 · 7/10 · 1 June 2021]

Slow burn which is typical of police procedurals but atypical in the sense that the story delves into something fresh: what happens to high school seniors in the aftermath of a school shooting that leaves some of them dead.

The viewer is tempted to fastforward but hesitates because he/she could miss something important in the investigation by Rami Davidi (Guri Alfi) and Morag Shmuel (Reut Alush).

The pace picks up considerably in the last 2 episodes when the young killers are revealed.

The writers spice up the story by developing Rami's personal story: a skillful detective, who's having a hard time adjusting to a glass eye, with his own issues on the school where the shooting takes place and on being a would-be father and neglectful husband.

The ending is a tad melodramatic and a bit of a surprise. But I suppose the writers had to end it the way it did because the subjects of the story are simply 12th graders (who are about to begin their compulsory military training) and not hardened criminals. And the viewer could empathize (although it can never be condoned) with the motives of the young killers.

Overall, it's an entertaining series that provides insights into the thinking of young Israelis.

The senior actors gave solid performances. The young ones didn't disappoint either. Their portrayal was heartfelt. Special mention to Liana Ayun ( Libby), Yoav Rotman (Itamar), and Noam Karmel (Eram Sagi).

Started well

[johnphilips-be · 10/10 · 28 May 2021]

I am into the 3rd episode and this series looks on the money. BGM is excellent and the stories are stitched together very well.

I am surprised that I am writing the first review here. The lead investigator is a fair character who is not blindly in favor of local students or blindly against immigrant workers and that makes it easier for everyone to see without prejudice. Don't doubt it, go ahead and watch it.

Watching it with subtitles

[shaun-35238 · 6/10 · 13 August 2021]

If you're outside the UK I suggest watching it in Hebrew with English subtitles.

The British dubbing becomes almost laughable as the series progresses especially colloquialisms. It's not what's being said and also makes the actors look poor where in reality that's not the case . Sad as it would have been a lot better for English speaking people if they'd used a different company.

Story is quite good and doesn't drag or lag, however viewers should be advised it's centred around a school shooting so discretion is required.

Excellent so far

[hannahcsdepot · 10/10 · 29 May 2021]

I'm on the 4th episode and it is excellent so far. Intriguing, well fleshed out characters. I really want to know who did this and why, binging it so far.

I am using the English subtitles as I don't really like voice overs, they ruin everything. You forget it's there after a few minutes in.

This show is not for kids.

Very complicated - read after you finish

[koofasa · 6/10 · 23 June 2021]

After watching the entire first season I think the story was overly complicated and not well explained at the end. The best I can explain is that some high school kids were angry at their school principal for covering up a suicide by calling it an accident. Some reviews say that a group of bullies forced a gay kid to commit suicide which makes no sense whatsoever in today's era. Especially in a place like Israel where everyone is more or less a lefty thinker. Why would kids bully a gay kid? Assuming there are bullies still left in high school, a group of kids was offended by the cover up so they killed the bullies in a school shooting setting which makes them seem like cowards because they wore masks and took steps to injure each other to make it appear they were also victims. Nobody comes out looking good in this series so that ends up being a downer. There has to be at least a couple of characters who have redeeming qualities but not in this show. The police regularly break their own rules. The head cop cheats on his pregnant wife. The parents all seem uninvolved in their kid's lives. The kids are all narcissistic which is really sad for their generation. Not one kid or adult seemed worthy and everyone mumbled through their lines so I only understood about 70% of what was said.

Unbelievability in this High School Drama

[ablack90 · 5/10 · 1 June 2021]

The teenager characters are quite self-indulgent and unlikeable. The actors were too old to portray teens. The lead cop is the typical hard nosed cop who breaks all the rules and puts career before wife. Furthermore the plot would have us believe a teenager is so consumed with guilt she'll shoot her friends who bullied a kid who later commit suicide? That's a big leap from being just stupid to full on sociopathic. It fell flat for me and I felt in a rush for this mess to end.

Fantastic

[fifike · 10/10 · 31 May 2021]

I can't wait for season 2 .Everything is just great. Very entertaining and there is a great potential in the story. One more israeli serie you just can't get enough!

High school characters?

[gnatsong · 7/10 · 5 June 2021]

Surely not. These kids looked to be late twenties. They were an interesting lot but absolutely foreign to my remembrance of high school. It was not easy to find anyone to admire in this thing, including, and especially, the chief cop. Pretty stupid, definitely rogue on occasion, yet I found season one interesting in its depiction of Israeli life/culture. So regardless plot flaws and the lack of anyone approaching a heroic character, I would mildly recommend this.

Awful

[taniaburstin · 2/10 · 6 June 2021]

A completely ridiculous depiction of teen life in Israel A school where every kid is disaffected and taking drugs or drinking.

There is a massacre at the school and apparently there is only one cop in the entire city who can solve the crime.

The clues keep popping up for him and him only Nice tie in that he was bullied at the school 20 years before.

The characters are confusing, not developed The characters that committed the murder are kind of pulled out of a hat. Oh he did it cos he was besotted with the girl and he has a hard time at home.

The last scene is a joke Seriously do not bother!!

Take on a tough subject becomes convoluted

[info-80807 · 6/10 · 28 November 2021]

I would have hoped a drama about a school shooting would be tighter. This series has some good moments but really goes all over the place, with unrealistic 'twists' and plot points. When it was finished I was tired of it, but not satisfied. Question (not a spoiler): can someone with one eye become a active duty cop in Israel?

decent watching

[saintgermain-83925 · 7/10 · 29 June 2021]

Sure this is not the greatest crime thriller ever created but it is a very respectable and enjoyable series . As with most series of this type the plot is pretty far fetched and has gaping holes in it but suspend your disbelief and cynicism .Instead enjoy the character creation particularly with the lead the special investigations cop Rami Davidi beautifully acted by Guri Alfi and his colleagues .Ruso and Morag .Sure the kids were almost uniformly selfish,stupid,narcissistic,nasty etc etc but heh .i thought thats what kids were like today. There is also a nice entry portrait of a section of society of Israel which is not somewhere i knew much about .Of and for goodness sake watch in hebrew with subtitles .Who on earth thinks dubbed voices is a good way to watch ?

Excellent

[rchevalier-37303 · 8/10 · 8 June 2021]

I don't usually care for voiced over shows but this one is very well done. It moves along pretty well with some slow spots and a bit too much 2nd plot regarding Davidi and his wife.

One can become mixed up with the characters Libi and Shir because they look similar and the voice actors sound the same.

Fortunately the concept behind the creation of the crime guns does not work as shown with IMI Jerichos being used as props. Be thankful for that.

Not bad, if you look past the plot holes

[eleester · 6/10 · 5 February 2022]

The premise of the story is rather interesting. Though in Ep1 you can roughly figure that the shooters were among the schoolkids themselves. Davidi the detective is probably the best character of the series. Though he could have solved the case within a day or two by swabbing hands for GSR. Oh well...

Great High School Thriller.

[jhmoondance · 9/10 · 18 February 2022]

Well......this was a well written story about a massacre at a high school with many twists n turns n suspense n tension throughout. It was horrifyingly real n very dark.

The acting was superb n the characters were full of life n realistic.

The ending was slightly left open n a little bit predictable but great nonetheless.

I recommend this series especially if you like suspense n who dunnits.

Good idea but nothing special

[marialazaridou-72499 · 6/10 · 14 January 2022]

Good story-idea but scenario is not coherent.

Actors not bad but not very good to. I watch it but overall is mediocre.

There is other very good Israeli series in Netflix.

Started off well and then it started sinking

[gban-18627 · 4/10 · 11 June 2021]

Love Israeli shows in general but this could have been so much better! The episodes in the mid were terribly slow, the story revolving around some of the school student characters I thought was unnecessary and could have been much refined. I also couldn't quite understand how those hand guns were "printed off" and were later put to use to kill people with zero malfunction qmd perfect results? Also kind of stupid how Rami in the last episode just inserted an artificial eye in his left eye socket with absolute cosmetic precision!

Thriller and suspense show

[nithinbkmurthy · 8/10 · 10 July 2021]

A cop involves in an investigation and finds out the murderers of a massacre.

Could have been better if ...

[czechoslovakgunstories · 6/10 · 10 August 2022]

... somebody paid more attention to couple of details. I could perhaps live with all those teenagers who looked much older than they should have. Their faces were pretty much melting together for me as well since they all looked like crooks, addicts, and I missed one person that would be "likeable". But the core of the story are kids 3D printing guns. Wtf? A gun is a very precise set of mostly metal components and seeing a "kid" printing out two pieces cut diagonally, than inserting one round only to start shooting like Rambo with fully functional handgun. Maybe I am too harsh as guns are my hobby but c'mon guys, you did Fauda...

Could present a cautionary seminar for screenwriters

[BibChr · 2/10 · 8 June 2021]

The bare fact that a character is damaged doesn't make him or her interesting. The actor, for instance, needs to have more than one expression - in this case, that of having just swallowed something really sour, or having smelled something really rank.

And his character has to have something to admire, to like, to relate to. He can't simply use and abuse everyone in his life who tries to help him, who needs him, who counts on him. He can't...oh, say, father a child, and continually neglect and mistreat its mother, and blame her for conceiving.

And the surrounding characters have to be in some way credible. They can't simply endure this endless use and abuse and come back for more. They need credibility, and they too need to display something admirable and likable and three-dimensional.

And the plot. If there are eight episodes, it should compellingly fill the eight episodes. Not be thin enough to have rattled around aimlessly in just one.

This series fails on all counts. Sorry I wasted the time.

I have a question

[cafegoddes · 8 June 2021]

What is the map on the T Shirts of the students? I haven't even finished the first episode and I wondered from the first shot of students what that map was. Maybe it is explained later in the episodes?