Besa - Season 1

The first episode didn't impress me too much, because I found it almost impossible to get my head round the plot and characters and even some of the anti-heroes were quite confusing in appearance. However, with the second episode, I started to get a taste for this series and then everything just got better until the grand finale, which gave me chills. It all reminds me a bit of the rough and tumble of Gomorrah, with a touch of wild Balkans. Besa also boasts very good performances and an incredibly oppressive atmosphere. And again, I really like the title song. (85%) (09.12.2022)

I'm not one to support organized or unorganized crime, but strangely enough, movies and series with this theme often entertain me a lot — especially when they're done well. The first season of Besa was exactly that. As I've mentioned in my reviews of individual episodes, I was impressed by how the creators crafted the atmosphere, built tension, delved into the psychology of each character, executed action scenes with precision (when they did occur), and played ruthlessly with the fates of the characters. What elevated the series even more for me was the fact that the creators didn't seem to care about political correctness or fulfilling quotas that often feel forced and out of place. (04.03.2024)