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Blok 27 Review

Written and created by Ivan Knezevic, Blok 27 is a 2022 Serbian mystery horror television series that signals the glorious arrival of great talent to the much maligned movie and TV landscape in this country.

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“There is a world beneath this world“

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When a teenager disappears in the rough blocks of New Belgrade, his twin sister, ignored by the confused parents and the inefficient police, starts a search of her own. This show came out of nowhere and its effect in Serbia is muted now, but hopefully it will signal a change in the near future as the country is in desperate need of recognizing and honoring true greatness.

In terms of its influences, comparisons have been made with ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Dark’. In actuality, there is almost none of the former, but a whole lot of the latter in the final product. Unquestionably, the series begins on a very familiar note and the atmosphere of that accomplished German show was evident throughout. However, by the episode three or four, the show becomes very much its own thing.

This is exactly how you adapt another story onto a different market. While initially those comparisons to ‘Dark’ are inevitable, as the episodes unfolded, this talented team of directors, creators and writers put their own stamp onto the story, which led to what is undeniably a Serbian take on the horror genre. The resulting show is truly something special. It’s the type of series that could be admired by mainstream audiences in the West if given a chance.

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The main concept is brilliant, especially when you realize that it’s based on historical facts. The use of historical footage helped make the show even more authentic. The titular Blok 27 was a project in Communist Yugoslavia that was never finished. The creators used that real history as a backdrop to the whole show and as the basis for the fifth episode that is a flashback story and the highlight of the season. This is where answers come in and where the show fully turns to horror.

Everything about that flashback episode rang true and it seemed so real. Blok 27 is firmly grounded in reality. Children speak differently than adults – they use more colloquialisms and their accent is distinctly the one from New Belgrade. Their cursing and their overall behavior was so realistic. Depicting the teenagers right was crucial as the biggest theme of the show is the neglect of the disenfranchised youth. The writers also explore the issues of bullying, racism and homophobia, which made the show thematically diverse and very emotionally investing.

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The acting is also surprisingly competent. Most of the cast did a great job, even including the younger actors. The casting was tremendous as they cast real teenagers in these roles, which was essential in making the series believable. Ema Pendleburi as Milica and Stefan Lazic as Darko are the standouts. Both of these characters are grounded, complex and interesting to follow. The whole mystery about little Rajko was intriguing while Bogdan’s grandfather was by far the most fascinating and most important character plotwise.

A lot of praise should be directed toward the show’s technical aspects as well. In fact, this is by far the best-looking and best-sounding Serbian series that I’ve personally watched. The sound department needs to be congratulated for intensifying the atmosphere of the show through the use of perfect sound mixing and very evocative sounds during the horror sequences inside the buildings. The score is phenomenal too and fittingly eerie while the cinematography is stupendous.

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The sixth episode did not disappoint. It was a great choice to end the show with some things answered, but a lot of the questions still remaining to be solved. This choice made for a pleasantly ambiguous viewing experience. The world building and the mythology are fantastic, especially for what is essentially a limited-scale show, but the scope still felt epic. Its urban setting was wonderfully realized while the writing is particularly superb, especially in terms of the dialogue. The crime elements were overwhelming at first, but the second half of the show focused more on mystery and horror genres, and this is where the series reached its peak.