“The Woods” is a new Netflix project based on the works of the famous American writer.

On June 12, the streaming platform Netflix debuted the Polish mini-series “The Woods” (W głębi lasu/The Woods), an adaptation of the eponymous novel by American mystery master Harlan Coben. We tell you what else makes this project notable and whether it’s worth your time.

Mysteries of the Past

The series’ plot unfolds across two time periods:

• 1994 — a double murder occurs at a summer camp for teenagers, and two more young people vanish without a trace;
• 2019 — prosecutor Paweł Kopyński (Grzegorz Damięcki), who lost his sister that fateful summer, uncovers new details of the case that may help him learn exactly what happened at the camp 25 years ago.

A typical Harlan Coben device involves telling stories about unsolved cases from the past that resurface years later. That was the case in the excellent British series “The Five,” and the same can be seen in the show “The Woods.”

The plot is a kind of tangle of small interconnected stories, each of which can hint at one possible turn of events or another. Thanks to frequent ambiguity and jumps between timelines (dialogues sometimes simply break off with flashbacks or scene changes), the authors manage to maintain suspense at a proper level right up to the final credits. For a solid classic detective story, this is truly a commendable achievement.

A Kaleidoscope of Characters

What sets “The Woods” apart from a number of traditional detective stories is the abundance of interesting and ambiguous characters: troubled teenagers in conflict with parents and peers, a prosecutor who uses unconventional methods and harbors many personal secrets, a mother willing to do anything for her children, and so on. Each of the presented characters is recognizable, which does not make them simplistic but rather brings them closer to real life.

As the story progresses, the viewer’s attitude toward many characters may change, and yesterday’s bad guy may turn out not to be so bad after all, and vice versa. This approach to characters can be counted as a plus for the Polish project.

Technical Side

When watching the series “The Woods,” it’s interesting not only to follow the plot’s progression but also to immerse yourself in the overall depressive atmosphere. Dark tones, mood-matching music, and frequent use of the so-called Dutch angle (tilted horizon) — these techniques are by no means new, but they work reliably, so it would be a sin not to use them with the right approach.

There is nothing outstanding in the “picture” or music; it is simply solid and serves as an excellent backdrop for the main thing — the story.

Should You Watch “The Woods”?

This series will appeal both to fans of Harlan Coben’s work and to lovers of unpredictable detective stories — it’s not a new word in the genre, but a very worthy representative of it.

Trailer: