A new limited series has hit Netflix—and it’s a heavy one. Full of drama and tense moments that are sure to tug at your heartstrings, this show has become a global hit in just a few days, rising to the #5 spot on the Netflix Top 10 Global list while bringing viewers’ attention to a period of history that feels like it’s been lost to time.
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Lead Children, or Olowiane Dzieci in its native Polish, is a Polish-language drama that spotlights a little-talked-about moment in Poland’s history. The story is set in Communist-era Poland in the 1970s, and centers on a young doctor who discovers that local children living near a smelting plant are actually suffering from lead poisoning that is slowly killing them. When no one will help, and the government places her at the center of its ire, she risks her career and her life to help them. While it’s been said that the pacing is slow, critics also note that this hard-hitting drama does the dark period it focuses on justice.
Lead Children is Uniquely Dark
Starring Joanna Kulig, Agata Kulesza, and Kinga Preis, Lead Children is an incredible addition to the “contamination drama” subgenre—joining the ranks of series like Chernobyl, Toxic Town, and even Erin Brockovich. Despite its heavy content and the series it calls contemporaries, there is a slightly more hopeful note to Lead Children—though it’s probably better watched over the course of a few viewings, as opposed to binging. “Lead Children is an all-too-relevant story that will resonate with many, with a hopeful note that keeps the series from fully venturing into despair,” says Sarah Musnicky of But Why Tho?, who rated the limited series 8 out of 10 stars. Joel Keller of Decider agrees, saying, “As depressing as Lead Children can be at times, the overall story gives viewers a sense of justice and hope.”
Lead Children also serves as a sort of spiritual successor to Chernobyl, a limited series that has no real way of coming back for anymore seasons—a rare treat in the age of streaming. It tackles issues not only pertaining to public health and outcry, but also the intense politics raging in eastern Europe at the time, as it hones in on one woman’s determination against a corrupt political and social system, and everything she will do to save the children in her care. Clint Worthington of Roger Ebert says, “As a patient glimpse into an ugly chapter of Polish history that few outside the country know about, it’s worth taking in.”
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Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme -
A photo of the Retrovolt Arcade taken in 2017, showing several classic arcade cabinets and stools. -
Image Courtesy of MAPPA
