Review: Unorthodox

Esty escapes from her life as an orthodox Jew, in the first primarily Yiddish Netflix series.

Directed by Maria Schrader Starring Shira Haas, Amit Rahav, Jeff Wilbusch

Anticipation: As someone who knew little of Orthodox Jewish culture, I was fascinated by the concept. Also, props to whoever designed the poster – an image of a girl having her head shaved whilst surrounded by stone-faced children is bound to grab your attention.

Enjoyment: A truly brilliant series, short but riveting, exciting and nuanced.

In Retrospect: If you want to learn more about Orthodox Jewish culture and identity, or even just want a perfect coming-of-age series to binge, add Unorthodox to your watchlist immediately.

I want to begin this review with an embarrassing confession. Truly embarrassing. Bordering on politically incorrect. The confession is this: until last week, I genuinely believed Yiddish was a fictional language.

Yes, I know. It’s awful. I thought Yiddish was a synonym for ‘gobbledygook’ or ‘gibberish’, as valid as Elvish or Klingon. Now, perhaps this proves I was incredibly naïve and living under a rock. Personally, I think this excruciating misnomer illustrates how little Jewish culture permeates into Western media output. Growing up, I saw American films, often influenced by Christianity (I have no religion myself, but went to a couple of Church of England schools). As I reached my teens, I started to branch out, watching films in French, German and Spanish. And yet, I still knew absolutely nothing about Yiddish.

Oh, it gets worse. I’m embarrassed to say that when I think of Judaism, my mind instantly flits to the second world war. It’s hard for me to picture the word ‘Jewish’ without pairing it to ‘Nazi Germany’. After all, my history lessons matched the two together exclusively. I’m extremely proud to say that my great-grandmother hid Jewish families during the war, when she was a spy for the Dutch Resistance, and my great-grandfather was amongst those that liberated Dachau (I am told he never quite recovered). I even (somewhere) have Jewish blood, although growing more and more distant. All this considered, you’d hope I’d know at least a little about Jewish culture. Aside from a few blurry memories of R.E. lessons in primary school, (only the word ‘Torah’ springs to mind), and passing Orthodox Jews on the Sabbath in Hackney, I knew absolutely nada about 21st Century Jewish people.

Cut to me pressing play on Unorthodox. My first response was one of confusion, and then of complete surprise. I have to say, it took me a good few minutes to fully understand that the characters existed in the present day. From the relentless oppression of women, to the clothes you might find on a picture-book grandma, Unorthodox could easily be a period series. However, the moment 19-year-old Esty escapes from her Orthodox Jewish community and steps into a taxi, the two worlds collide. All at once, Esty seems wildly out of place in her wig and stockings; I had to remind myself that she was a girl of my age living in 2020.

Esty, played by the captivating Shira Haas, is a headstrong girl living in a tight-knit community in New York. Aged just 18, she was married off to Yanky Shapiro, (Amit Rahav), and expected to have a child within a year. As a woman, Esty is not permitted to work or partake in hobbies which do not benefit her husband and the community. Unfortunately, Esty develops a love for piano, indulging in secret lessons and pretending to play on a paper set of piano keys. On top of this, Esty also finds sex extremely painful, which puts a palpable strain on her marriage. Having discovered that she has German citizenship, she stuffs her belongings into her waistband (Jews must not carry anything on Sabbath day), and flees to Berlin. In a state of distress and confusion, Yanky and his friend Moishe follow Esty, with the hope of bringing her home. Unbeknownst to Yanky, Moishe harbours malicious intentions.

Maria Schrader presents a masterclass on delving into an intrinsically detailed culture, with a sensitive, understanding approach. Unorthodox is based on her autobiography of the same name, although fictionalised for dramatic purposes (see the brilliant accompanying ‘Making Of’ documentary). Despite moments of stifling oppression, (the arranged marriage for example, or Esty’s ludicrous sex education sessions), Schrader carefully guides us into her world without judgement or prejudice. The key to Schrader’s success is perspective; instead of showing us the world of Orthodox Jewish communities, she allows us to experience it. The audience follow Esty’s every step, until feeling as if we inhabit the character’s life. When Esty feels delight at her pregnancy -despite the traumatic circumstances of its creation - we empathise with her. To a community focused on replacing the Six Million lost, bearing a child is the greatest achievement for a woman.

I was intrigued to see just how much of a shadow the Nazi legacy casts on modern Berlin. As I have never visited Germany, I cannot be sure if this is Netflix hyperrealism, but the sickening legacy of the Führer seemed to seep into every crack of German tourism and heritage. Interestingly, the teenagers of Berlin were nonplussed, casually talking about mass genocide whilst ordering a takeaway coffee. I say this not as a criticism, but rather as an observation. It is intriguing to see how someone can take ownership of their home’s history, however grim. And I thought coming from a town with only a chair museum for its legacy was bad.

Now, coming into Unorthodox, I naturally expected to like Esty – she is our protagonist - but I didn’t anticipate the affection I’d feel for Yanky Shapiro. Naively, I assumed the story would be as simple as good guys in Berlin, baddies in the community coming to deprive Esty of her dreams. Instead, Schrader layers a far more complex, nuanced array of multi-faceted characters. Yanky is an awkward, shy, Jewish boy, barely a man and already a husband, wanting nothing more than to please his mother and community. A man who leaves New York, for the first time in his life, to bring back a woman who doesn’t want to be with him and never will. A man who curls his Payot (the sidelocks worn by many Orthodox Jewish men) in two rollers, whilst eating crackers and watching telly. Amit Rahav plays Yanky with such a cautious, gentle sensitivity that you can’t help but fall for him. Interestingly, I found myself rooting for both Esty and Yanky, which only serves to make the story deliciously convoluted.

In unveiling the Orthodox Jews of New York, Maria Schrader demystifies a culture previously hidden in plain sight. Minority communities may feature in documentaries, but this distanced view has a constant undercurrent of ‘them and us’. By presenting a contemporary, fictionalised story, the community is humanised. As Esty charters college and relationships, we see familiar parallels to any coming-of-age story. Praise must go to Netflix for championing diverse voices and marginalised groups. I look forward to watching an eclectic and colourful spectrum of stories, to broaden my mind and challenge my prejudices. What’s next?

Unorthodox is available to stream on Netflix.