Unorthodox: Season 1

""Unorthodox" is always tender, especially as it laments the kind of experiences had by real-life Esthers. But its pacing is gradual almost to a fault, and spreads itself thin when stepping away to focus on Moishe’s vices..."

"Though it’s only four episodes long, Unorthodox tells a full, interesting, even inspiring story, particularly for anyone who’s left a life they could no longer live and struggled to find their place in the world."

"Netflix's four-part Yiddish-fueled drama boasts a lovely performance by Shira Haas as a young woman fleeing her isolated Hasidic community in Brooklyn."

"What unfolds is a story of personal discovery with the intensity of a spy thriller. ... Haas is a phenomenon, expressive and captivating."

"What’s impressive about the series, created by Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski (and directed by Maria Schrader), is how it builds out the story by indulging the viewer’s curiosity, in flashback form, in a way that adds shape and empathy to both the Hasidic tradition and Esty’s rejection of it."

"It’s a journey in every sense, and the first series that I’ve been able to binge-watch in a rush, without taking extended pauses to mainline more news, since the pandemic began."

"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."