SummaryThe four-part drama inspired by Deborah Feldman's memoir, Esther "Esty" Shapiro (Shira Haas) flees her Hasidic Brooklyn home for Berlin, while her husband Yanky (Amit Rahav) and his cousin Moische (Jeff Wilbusch) seek to bring her back.
Created By:Anna Winger, Alexa Karolinski
Unorthodox
Season 1 Premiere:
Mar 26, 2020
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
85
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
My Score
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All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
91% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
9% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Mar 27, 2020
100
"Unorthodox" is an achievement of searing power and grace, attuned to big, sweeping emotions and small, observational moments in equal measure. ... This is one of the major achievements in the history of Netflix original productions. You cannot miss it.
Mar 26, 2020
91
All along, “Unorthodox” builds a steady emotional tapestry that culminates in its bracing finale scenes, when the stakes at hand matter less than the way each character processes their decisions. Yet none of those circumstances would hit too hard if not for the undercurrent of authenticity brought by Haas at the center of nearly ever scene. The 24-year-old actress is an instant sensation who commands every moment she’s on screen.
User score
Generally Favorable
80% Positive
104 Ratings
104 Ratings
9% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
11% Negative
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
Apr 13, 2020
9
I really enjoyed this four-parter. It kept up entertained and the acting is top-notch.
Apr 4, 2020
8
What's worse than peer pressure? Everybody pressure! There's a lot to love here. If you like peeking into different worlds, you have a couple here. If you're find charm in cultural quirks... If you have empathy for the vulnerable, this will stress you out. If you admire bravery, Esther will inspire you. Control? Compassion? Struggle. Transcendence? The story is great, the acting is great, the camera beautiful and intimate, the direction excellent. Just under four hours allows you deep in, but keeps things from bogging down. Really wonderful.
Mar 27, 2020
90
Information about Esty’s background leaks out little by little. ... That approach is one of the things that makes Unorthodox — which is both a character study and, once Yanky and his dodgy cousin Moishe (Jeff Wilbusch) try to track Etsy down in Germany, a pseudo-thriller — so arresting. ... Haas gives an extraordinary performance here.
Mar 25, 2020
90
What unfolds is a story of personal discovery with the intensity of a spy thriller. ... Haas is a phenomenon, expressive and captivating.
Mar 25, 2020
80
The show’s plot is not always as convincing as its characters; the centrality of the conservatory to Esty’s storyline, in which it functions as a social hub, a source of hope and on one occasion an overnight shelter can feel especially contrived. Yet, thanks in large part to uniformly fine performances, creators Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski render each character’s constantly shifting emotional states with rare precision.
Mar 25, 2020
80
There's a tremendous intimacy here as, sometimes in a very literal sense, you're being let behind a curtain. And in that intimacy, buoyed by language code-switching from Yiddish to English to German, Unorthodox finds a lot of humanity, even in the characters who are surely villains. That plus the vulnerable-then-fierce performance from Haas allowed me to put aside other reservations and find fascination in this occasionally wobbly, often inspiring story.
Mar 27, 2020
50
While "Unorthodox" has rich cultural detail in presenting this community back in Williamsburg, the tragic note it hits remains the same. In this story, religion is presented as a joyless life sentence. That’s an entirely welcome depiction whether one agrees with it or not, it’s more that it flattens out the story when it comes to making a challenging world or set of characters, and makes Esty's liberation all the more obvious.
May 26, 2025
7
Una historia que desde mi país, mi cultura y mi recorrido me llevan a pensar que es ciencia ficción pero increíblemente real! Y eso me impactó! Si alguien elige vivir así lo respeto pero por mandato? Nadie debería estar obligado a vivir como no quiere!
Jan 6, 2021
6
Where it’s good, it's excellent 10/10. The portrayal of the Hasidic in Williamsburg was about as real as you can get. Where it faltered was the fairy tale in Berlin. It all seems a bit made up and convenient. Plot holes and cringy performances on behalf of the hip lib Euro friends grated. Still entertaining and enjoyable overall. The physical appearance of the lead actress and her devotion to her role was exemplary. The character of Moshe is most fascinating. I speak a little German and was surprised at myself I could follow a lot of the Yiddish. I’m giving points for that.
Apr 6, 2020
6
Unorthodox's thematic elements, emotional storytelling, and eye-opening presentation of orthodox culture create a captivating drama of freedom and rebirth. However, despite its moments of beauty and intrigue, Unorthodox fails to live up to its full potential. Acting is a mixed bag, with some performances boarding on perfection and some boarding on cringe-worthy. The overall narrative, while inspiring, relies too much on over-the-top dramatic flair at expense of credibility and pacing. But the only place where Unorthodox truly fails its audience is in its ending where it fails to provide proper resolution and leaves too many questions unanswered.
Feb 12, 2021
3
Compelling story and decent cast, but nowadays I tend to research any 'based on true events' shows/movies I watch and oh boy was this one conveniently changed for the purposes of telling an even more 'compelling' story than the real deal. I mean they made evil people of orthodox Jews who actually weren't that bad. Yes orthodoxy creates isolationism, but FFS nobody actually ever chased her with guns to Germany...like nobody...stop diminishing women's successes by adding BS to real great stories.
Dec 12, 2020
2
No está doblada. Sí, sólo he visto 15 minutos del primer episodio, y 15 minutos hablando en no se que puñetas de idioma que hablan, todo con subtítulos.
