A criminally overlooked drama series has captivated audiences with its intimate portrayal of an underrepresented religious community, delving into its nuances and contradictions with remarkable depth.

Drawing comparisons to the dystopian hit The Handmaid’s Tale, this series similarly examines a woman’s struggle for survival within an intricate belief system, handled with exceptional care and precision.

The drama, inspired by and loosely adapted from Deborah Feldman’s 2012 memoir, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, was brought to life by creators Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski, with Maria Schrader at the helm as director.

Available to stream on Netflix, it marks the platform’s debut series predominantly in Yiddish, whilst also weaving between English and German throughout.

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Unorthodox launched on the streaming service on March 26, 2020, subsequently earning an impressive eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations including Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series – the latter of which it secured, becoming the first German production ever to claim an Emmy, reports the Express.

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Led by Shira Haas, with strong support from Amit Rahav and Jeff Wilbusch completing the principal trio, Unorthodox has earned widespread praise for its stellar performances. Alex Reid, Ronit Asheri, Gera Sandler, and Dina Doron feature amongst the broader ensemble.

The official synopsis of the drama describes it as a “Story of a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman who flees her arranged marriage and religious community to start a new life abroad.”

Boasting an impressive 96% approval rating from critics on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, this gripping four-part mini-series has received widespread acclaim, not only from critics but also from viewers.

Still from Unorthodox 

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Shira Haas stars as the lead in the four-part mini series(Image: Netflix)

One reviewer praised the show, saying: “Unorthodox was a captivating series from start to finish. It was exciting, convincing, and intriguing.”

Another glowing review read: “A unique and intriguing coming-of-age tale, a thoughtful thriller, and an eye-opening but always careful and respectful look at a culture that’s rarely depicted on-screen in such depth.”

A third critic lauded Unorthodox, saying: “In a TV world that often seems dominated by yet more cliched detective stories centred on grotesque deaths, this series is fresh and unique.”

Viewers have been equally captivated by the series, with one fan writing: “Riveting and enthralling! It’s 03:45 and I just watched all of the miniseries in one go.

“The whole package is courageous, honest, beautiful, inspirational and full of hope and determination. It didn’t hurt that the story is half set in my favourite city in the world – seductive Berlin. I will read the book this weekend. If you’re looking for a story to fall into completely, this could well be it!”.

Another viewer’s review reads: “Beautifully written and produced show i totally recommend it and oh make sure to have a box of tissues by your side cause this show will leave you in tears.”

A third fan added: “Didn’t expect I would binge watch this. Accidentally clicked on the episode instead of the trailer and became hooked. I loved this woman’s journey to find herself. Very well done.”

Unorthodox is available to stream on Netflix.