Just One Look: A review of a picture perfect Netflix thriller

Just One Look, the latest Polish thriller by Netflix, based on Harlan Coben’s book, makes everything appear to be a cunning deception and causes the audience to rethink everything they know about the plot, the characters, and with a bleak chance, their own identity. I mean, I hope not, but still.

Disclaimer: This review is based on the writer's perception of Just One Look. The series contains a lot of murder, mystery, and mayhem, so viewers' discretion is advisable.

Certain images are designed to retain a memory, while for others, their purpose is far more sinister. It’s a spine-chilling, dark, and tangled secret that distorts reality with a simple glance. And if there’s one thing that Coben’s stories do well, it’s weaving and concealing everything within themselves and slowly pouring trust into the reader’s perception until the very end. After being lulled into such a state, there's trust the audience will feel more comfortable in and BAM –the next thing they know is they are deeply rooted within the layers of deception, betrayal, and countless untold shocking truths. And Just One Look? It definitely delivers that effortlessly and doesn't compromise on style.

A Photograph Worth a Thousand Lies

Allow me to introduce you to Greta (Maria Dębska), a jewelry designer who, at first glance, appears to be leading a normal life. She and her loving husband are settled in a comfortable house while claiming to have no past criminal history. That is until she discovers a shocking picture, an eerie photograph that should not be capable of existing in the first place. At the initial glance, everything seems normal, however, it is only when the viewers’ eyes tap deeper into the picture does it appears unsettling, because it features her husband. Out of the blue, Familiar. Smiling. His presence is certainly not what one would expect in this scenario.

Before she can demand a satisfying explanation regarding the picture, he disappears. Poof. Vanished. Just like that.

And this is where the enjoyment on our part, is not on Greta's side, truly starts.

The Unsightly, The Wonderful, and Everything In Between “That’s Surprisingly a Lot”

Let’s start with the good—the pacing is nearly perfect. This show knows how to keep you anxious. Everything is shot in low-light blues and grayish shadows, which puts you right in the position of looking for answers in the vacant hallways. The soundtrack? Soft but sickening, like a voice creeping in the dark that you wished you never heard.

This show belongs to Maria Dębska. While portraying Greta, she gives a cocktail of fragility blended with sheer strength, so much so that it is impossible to not support her, even when she makes steps that have you throwing the remote at the TV.

But, and it is a big but—all the other characters are supporting actors and some of them look as if they were given a half of a script and were told to make up the rest. You know the type: vaguely suspicious, just showing up at the right time, giving out parts of sentences as they leave. Some plot twists also border on being too clever, as if the writers had a Twist Quota to fill prior to the finale.

Final Verdict: Should You Watch Just One Look?

If you are feeling like diving into a delicate blend of mystery spiced with some superb attention to detail, Just One Look is exactly what you are looking for. This show does not have a predictable plot and can be summed up in a quintessential Coben twist. It is “nobody is who they seem to be." infused.

If you desire something breathtakingly different than the regular thriller, brace yourself, because you might find these elements of the story a little too surpassable for your taste.

But no, at the end of the day, here is what truly matters: what is your take on the question ‘How much can you trust yourself?’ Because, as Greta finds out, all the possibilities tend to be true 'just one look' away.

So, have you had "just one look" yet? Or did you watch the whole series? Let us know in the comments below.

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Edited by Tanisha Aggarwal