1983: A hidden gem on Netflix

The Netflix original series 1983, which premiered back in November 2018, is a political thriller well worth your time.

The world of Netflix’s 1983 is not entirely like our own. Set in 2003 Poland, twenty years after a terror attack, it’s an alternate history where Al Gore became President and where the Soviet Union is at the height of its power, the Cold War continuing on. Some events in history still occurred, as perhaps they always would have, but the overall differences are subtle and important.

The series follows two characters primarily: Kajetan, a young law student (Maciej Musiał) and Anatol, an investigator (Robert Więckiewicz).

Kajetan has been permanently affected by the attack, and the constant reminders in his adult life have molded his worldview. But the events of the season drastically threaten to alter what he thinks, as he pieces together the case his professor has handed to him. The case grows exponentially into something grander, a truth Kajetan may not be ready for.

Anatol, too, is haunted by the past as he investigates a murder and continues down a path much larger than he could have ever thought. He faces opposition at every turn, riding a fine line of using underground smuggling sources, following leads and always being on the verge of every room he walks into being his last.

But while both of their stories are the jumping off points and are intertwined, they help build toward the bigger picture where1983 becomes deeply fascinating. The mystery and puzzle side of it holds power grabs and terrorism with characters who are out for change. This change is in one form part of a revolution led by Ofelia (Michalina Olszańska), to awaken the people to what’s really going on in their country; the other is about seizing further control with Minister Władysław Lis (Andrzej Chyra), who has ties to Kajetan.

1983 uses the past against its main characters, deploying the truth in nuggets as its bigger picture is covered up by a higher power. As the picture grows clearer, characters are faced with dark secrets and lies which threaten to undo them. It’s a gripping structure, showing the past before the attack in flashbacks to threaten the present while the present unravels itself.

The show can grow a little complex the farther it goes, as the larger game at play starts to play out in many different avenues. But at its heart, the series is about revolution in its many forms, some fighting for justice, others fighting for power. It’s about how an event in the past can change not only someone’s life, but change the course of a country and even history itself.

1983 is a great eight-episode series, and a worthwhile gem in the Netflix library.

What do you think of the series? Let us know in the comments!