Summary
One must wonder why this series hasn’t had much promotion, because it certainly has the potential to be a popular horror.
This review of Netflix’s Cracow Monsters season 1 does not contain spoilers.
It’s flagrantly evident from the opening scenes that Cracow Monsters is not presenting this world in halves. It’s aggressive in style and substance. The series offers this gritty community two steps away from the underworld, where paranormal activity and demons merge and become an evil yet inevitable problem. The opening premise introduces the mysterious student Alex (played by Barbara Liberek), a woman with a hellish past, who is casually promiscuous as she absorbs a life of alcohol, drugs, clubbing and sex.
But when Professor Zawadzki takes a keen interest in Alex, the story takes a quick pivot dramatically. Cracow suddenly feels like an ominous place with plenty of dark potential. Professor Zawadzki leads a group of unique students, and they tackle the underworld that is seeping into their reality.
While Cracow Monsters tentatively opens up the darkness of this universe, it does not hide the concept. The polish series is soberingly dark yet not original in its nature. But rather importantly, the lack of originality does not make it uninteresting. The curiosity mostly comes from the lack of provision from the characters. They purposefully keep their expression to the world at arm’s length. Do not expect to be overjoyed by a character’s presence in this series. They are scripted with the grey undertone in mind.
As Cracow Monsters progresses, it becomes evident that there’s an overwhelming threat. The group of students and the professor are on a mission to stop their hometown from being consumed by evil. The series does a marvelous job in bringing weight to the dangerous threat, and what the students have to suffer in order to stop it.
The story enjoys indulging Alex and her past. Peeling away at the surface of her story is enticing and measures itself against the backdrop of the main plot. By having a lead character like Alex, Cracow Monsters manages to maintain intrigue. Think The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and you will not be far off from imagining how she holds herself.
One must wonder why this series hasn’t had much promotion, because it certainly has the potential to be a popular horror. Stories involving investigating paranormal activity are potentially substantive after all, as long as it is delivered well. While the CGI of the monsters could have some improvement, the series does enough to be marketable. Yes, the characters could be a little more exciting, but the grimness and coldness of this world matches the script, so it’s not to be sniffed at.
What did you think of Netflix’s Cracow Monsters season 1? Comment below.
You can watch this series with a subscription to Netflix.
