Cegado por la luz

The Polish film industry continues to impress, and Blinded by the Lights is no exception. This eight-part series might just be the most intense gangster drama I’ve ever seen. Forget the 90s British crime flicks—this is raw, gritty, and absolutely relentless. The main character starts off as this smug, know-it-all type, but after his first beatdown, you quickly realize there's no hero here—only survival. What begins as a low-key story about a drug dealer spirals into a brutal dive into Warsaw's underworld, and it’s jaw-dropping how well the director handles it. Despite being relatively new on the scene, this director clearly had a vision and wasn’t afraid to show it over eight epic episodes. Some of the opening scenes alone were bordering on genius, with perfectly choreographed moments paired with a dynamic, hard-hitting soundtrack. It’s wild how far ahead Polish filmmakers seem to be right now. Or maybe it’s just that their gritty world feels so familiar, making it hit even harder. (05.03.2021)

Jakub is a charismatic and talented young man who fully devotes himself to demanding business and achieves unprecedented success in it, thus attracting the attention of people both from the industry and elsewhere. Although he tries to be inconspicuous, the time is rapidly approaching when his analytical abilities, caution, and dedication must face serious obstacles. That is because Jakub is a drug dealer. After years of work for his customers, he feels the need to finally take a little break and go on a well-deserved vacation, but before that, he will have to solve a few serious problems and deal with a job offer that he doesn't like at all, but one that is among those that are very difficult to refuse. If I recently praised the Romanian series Umbre, then in the case of Blinded by the Lights, I have to add even more praise, because the Polish series is more generous in terms of filmmaking, more elaborate, and has truly impressive surreally resonating scenes. Once again, I must praise the script and the believable setting in Polish reality. Blinded by the Lights is a dark modern noir with truly dirty characters who are not afraid to be harsh and chillingly cynical. Overall impression: 90%. (02.06.2019)