Absolute Beginners (2023) User Reviews

A pleasant surprise

[andreretel · 8/10 · 17 November 2023]

I started watching this tv series not really knowing what to expect. This coming of age story has a good plot, good character development and has a good cast. Sensitively filmed, this tv show captures the essence of youth, sexual exploration and discovering individual identities.

There are three main characters, Niko, Lena and Igor who embark on a film making adventure which forces them into characters which challenges their abilities to have sex with each other and with whom. It is a cleverly written plot where a controversial sex scene leads Lena to try and convince both boys to perform the sex scene with her.

I was not disappointed and neither will you if you decide to watch this.

On Absolutni Debiutanci, briefly.

[reviewer17 · 8/10 · 16 November 2023]

I was blown away. Though I'm selective of what I watch, and as such end up thinking quite highly of all of it, this was an incredible series. I found myself staying up to watch it and not wanting an episode to end. Though it's a very dramatic series, it's not overplayed or overacted. You get the raw expression of the characters' feelings unaltered, but also you see the subtleties in the dialogue and movement. The actors absolutely embodied their roles, and each felt integral to the story. Side characters such as Malwina brought rich plot without taking away from the main focuses. The parents' relationships had beautiful complexities that did so as well. The parents seemed very present in their childrens personality, in a beautiful way.

Niko and Lena were perfectly introduced before we meet Igor. The relationship between all three developed wonderfully and had it's own subtle differences in each direction. Niko thinks and feels so deeply (and is very introspective), Igor is very nonchalant but also so similar to Niko, and Lena is a bold and daring opinion speaker. The contrast between each is what makes all of it so special and true, I think.

Overall, Absolutni Debiutanci feels like the most beautiful, atmospheric, subtle, bittersweet passion project I've seen in a very long time. It is less of a series and more of a feeling and understanding as you finish watching. Fantastic.

Very good and interesting, but overlong

[drew-15194 · 8/10 · 20 November 2023]

I enjoyed this series mostly, as it presents characters that are rarely seen on Netflix. As written, these aren't stock characters we've watched so many times they have lost their impact. They are complex: sometimes beautifully transcendent, other times childish and frustrating, yet always interesting. The three main characters, all young (and well acted) and around which the coming of age story revolves, are full of surprises and reversals. The parental characters are less well developed and frankly do not add much interest to the story or the plot. And that is a problem, for the show slows and falters when attention is not on the teens.

If the story had been cut back, reduced to a 2 hour film instead of an over-long series, and focused only on the teens, this would have been a really steller show. Sometimes a good story does not need to be extended into a series, and benefits from the rigor of editing out extraneous side plots. I'm looking forward to seeing these actors in other productions.

Great potential. Feels unfinished

[gloria-35436 · 6/10 · 2 December 2023]

I was in tuned til last episode. Just ended unfinished especially with Niko and Igor. The codependency of Niko and Lena is toxic and beautiful at same time. Lena, for me, is a very selfish and unlikeable character so Behind the scenes conversations of parents left holes in story. Igor's background is also like not fully fleshed out. I am not sure if there are plans for another season, because story needs to fill in plot holes. The series is great production and well shot with good cinematography, casting, film editing and sound. It was a good look into Polish culture and motives that are universal worldwide.

Beautiful

[delaney_monique · 9/10 · 30 October 2023]

I won't pretend to be a professional movie critic. I'm just an every day person.

I went into this blind, having never heard of it and I was pleasantly surprised.

The way they used the camera was artistic, the scenery was beautiful, the characters and dialog were real and raw. The love between the two best friends was heartachingly beautiful. The angst that comes with young love, and self discovery was shown realistically.

I loved that the movie makers expected us to be intelligent and sensitive enough to pick up on nuances and hear what's being said even in silence. I love that there wasn't a moral or preachy point to it all. Just a glimpse into the final summer of three young people on the cusp of adulthood. Despite teenage shenanigans, there is an innocence and sense of freedom that comes with youth that I felt was demonstrated here very well.

All in all this was a pleasure to watch. It made me feel something. Made me smile. Made me a little teary eyed once of twice. There is a lot to choose from when it comes to movies and series, this particular one was the perfect mixture of artistic and profound and sweet and real.

I really liked this

[mmillington554 · 9/10 · 3 November 2023]

As coming of age dramas go, this one is very good indeed. It had interesting story lines, relatable and likeable characters and was a bit risque at times. There was excellent acting from all those involved and especially the three young leads. Set on the Polish coast in summer, it had some really nice settings and scenery and was photographed exceptionally well. The menage a trios of the three young leads was handled very well, capturing young desire vividly with its complexities, uncertainties and traumas. The story moved along well, without becoming predictable. I found it very engaging, very well made, and quite liberating.