Para - We are King

Like a European - in this case German - version of the US hit series 'Euphoria', 'Para - Wir sind King' achieves more than the much hyped, over-the-top american series: it manages to keep it real. There might be some twists and turns in the storyline that don't seem that probable, but it is storytelling after all. Great acting, the girls are really likeable (and beautiful), great cinematography, well directed. And not too much of it: six episodes in season one are just enough to keep things interesting, no scenes feel pointless at all. The overall low rating is just not fair for this series, give it a try, especially if you love Berlin!

(Review written after watching season 1.)

This German series starts off in pure chaos with a lot of shouting, confused camera work, and inaudible and incomprehensible dialogue. Even if one watches with the original German soundtrack and English subtitles, the story still makes no sense. It plays like a very low budget production, using a script that makes absolutely no sense. As the episode progresses, there is just more shouting, inaudible dialogue and no context to provide information as to who the characters might be. The dialogue just seems to be improvised and made up along the way. It's astounding that this ever made it into production, let alone be streamed on any platform!

I was captivated by the mood of the story; I think they found their own unique voice. All four characters take you into their own world as they build a world together where they can barely stay afloat. The struggles of others are not always easy to identify with, especially when they are in quite unfamiliar situations from our own. I think this series makes it easy to empathize with these women's realm.

I really liked that the characters are not victims of their stories. Make their own decisions and face the consequences. Always at the helm, even if they often do not know which direction is the right one. Never give up, even though they regularly find themselves in impossible situations. They always stay loyal to each other, even when things get really tough.

The cinematography also works really well, the music and images complement each other perfectly. It fits the mood and the often confusing emotional world wonderfully.

I hope there will be a third season of the series.