Małgorzata Kożuchowska appears as a snobbish ex-wife who will do everything to maintain her social and financial status after a nasty break-up. 

We meet Aniela (Kożuchowska) when she is left with no money, and her husband, too. And no daughter, as she has no custody. And no credit card, too, which makes it even more frustrating, as it has always been her saviour. So, yes, she’s left with nothing. But Aniela is smart and plans to show the entire world that she cares and is someone much more meaningful than the entire Warsaw, here depicted in a somewhat distorting mirror, has always been wrong about her. 

The issue with Aniela is that every little thing can be, apparently, treated like a spoiler. You might have all those questions of why the show feels pretentious, why exactly Kożuchowska’s Aniela, both as a person and a character, is so problematic, and why most of the plot lines feel like huge caricatures. Yet, all of it is somewhat (even if between the lines) explained along the way, so instead of spoiling the proverbial fun and making the reader affected, I’ll focus on a tiny different problem, which also relates to this show.

As I’ve often mentioned in my other reviews, TV shows are, most importantly, investments of people’s free time. As a critic, it’s my job to endure all of that and pick wisely to save people from, as they say, wasting their precious time, during which they want to rest, have fun and enjoy themselves.

The audience should feel inspired right from the start, with the pilot, the very first episode, compelling them to follow the story and even finish it within a singular binge-watching session. It’s not a case in this example, so the choice is entirely up to you: you can either give it a go, force yourself and reach the last couple of episodes, or just say “no” and move on to something else. There are too many productions that can be unexpectedly missed. 

This is why Aniela is only for those fond of challenges. And maybe this is the main issue with our Polish productions: they always feel like a chore we need to embrace. 

Photo: Netflix

2,5/5 stars

Author: Jan Tracz