The title fooled me to think this would just be a sexually explicit romp with little dimension. Wrong. Red Light is a multi-layered drama with several story strands going simultaneously with the main story. Superbly done with some wonderful acting and interesting characters. Highly recommended.
14 Reviews
Good acting & suspense
ankawitska15 November 2021
At times predictable but I thought it was thrilling. 3 different female characters, well played. They keep you wondering what's going trough their mind. Maaike played her role as a "almost emotion numed" cop well, but loved those dutch Girls role even more.
Started off great
csos15 November 2022
It started off great and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I got to episode 5 and found my attention wandering because the storyline began to drag. Especially the woman cop's story which just repeated itself scene after scene and it got to the point where I began to fast forward everytime her scenes came on. The same old thing over and over, on and on with her husband. Maybe she sorts it out by the end but I don't care. I think I'll jump a few episodes and watch from 9 onwards. I'm sure I'll catch up and still know what's what. Good story and excellent acting from all concerned but like many tv series these days they contain too much padding. I keep shouting at the screen Get On With It. (Well, I've tried to submit my review but apparently it's too short so I'll just find some more words to pad it out - a bit like this series.
Lost in translation
xmasdaybaby196628 October 2021
This review is after watching series 1 (in the unlikely event of there being a series 2).
A Dutch show called Red Light and there is barely any nudity never mind sex scenes!
I tuned in to watch because I loved Koen De Bouw in the Belgian version of Professor T but he only has a support role here.
On the whole, a good series, as long as you understand that in modern TV, all women are angels and only do wrong things for good reasons while all men are evil or weak house husbands.
A very disjointed finale.
A Dutch show called Red Light and there is barely any nudity never mind sex scenes!
I tuned in to watch because I loved Koen De Bouw in the Belgian version of Professor T but he only has a support role here.
On the whole, a good series, as long as you understand that in modern TV, all women are angels and only do wrong things for good reasons while all men are evil or weak house husbands.
A very disjointed finale.
Raw and dark, yet realistic - great acting
erwingeo14 March 2021
One of the best thriller-drama series ever written. Set in Antwerp and Amsterdam, it provides deep insights in the prostitution scene, the related legal and illegal activities and the thorough, complex police work needed to restrict it. Halina Reijn's and Carice van Houten's performances are both excellent; their relation dynamics unsettling. Both entertaining and very impressive.
Uncomfortable viewing
mrrcave29 December 2022
I love watching foreign dramas, especially Flemish ones, and had very high hopes for this drama. The plot, characters, portrayal, and direction were superb. I binged watched the first 7 episodes and although some of the scenes and the story were very difficult to watch I enjoyed it.
The character of the Opera singer I found neurotic, insecure and really quite vacant. The "Madame" a selfish but desperate woman who insisted on staying with her controlling and really quite nasty boyfriend.
The star of the show was the police lady. I found her and her character very engaging and I sympathised with her plight.
I've not watched the remaining episodes for two days now as I found the whole bargaining for the baby thing quite disturbing, but more importantly the trafficking and exploitation of girls by men even more so. Morally I can't separate what the world should be, and unfortunately is, and thus I'm not sure I can watch the last two shows. I think for a happier life shows like this, that touch on prostitution, drugs, adultery and violence need to be absent from my life.
The character of the Opera singer I found neurotic, insecure and really quite vacant. The "Madame" a selfish but desperate woman who insisted on staying with her controlling and really quite nasty boyfriend.
The star of the show was the police lady. I found her and her character very engaging and I sympathised with her plight.
I've not watched the remaining episodes for two days now as I found the whole bargaining for the baby thing quite disturbing, but more importantly the trafficking and exploitation of girls by men even more so. Morally I can't separate what the world should be, and unfortunately is, and thus I'm not sure I can watch the last two shows. I think for a happier life shows like this, that touch on prostitution, drugs, adultery and violence need to be absent from my life.
Dark and feels realistic
marloeshonig-5527717 March 2021
Surprisingly decent
the-antichrist-is-near1 November 2022
Dutch drama series haven't been all that good lately, and I've never been that big of a fan of both Halina Reijn or Carice van Houten, let alone in things they made together... That said, this whole series turned out to be rather surprising. Especially Reijn is convincing, along with Derwig's character and their whole relation/family dynamic. Van Houten plays decent, but goes a little over the top at times, especially with the accent.
Flemish supporting cast is doing great; good dynamic between Ingmar and his helpers. Also great role by Koen de Bouw who shows something is troubling, but doesn't give it away until the end.
Only character that can't get any sympathy out of me is Neuville's, but I don't think that's so much bad acting, as it is rather poorly written; wannabe deeply psychologically traumatized, but always remaining rather shallow to the viewer.
Flemish supporting cast is doing great; good dynamic between Ingmar and his helpers. Also great role by Koen de Bouw who shows something is troubling, but doesn't give it away until the end.
Only character that can't get any sympathy out of me is Neuville's, but I don't think that's so much bad acting, as it is rather poorly written; wannabe deeply psychologically traumatized, but always remaining rather shallow to the viewer.
Disappointing
edwinnijs14 March 2021
Too real for me
fredster-277941 March 2021
Saw 2 episodes. It is a well made tv series, good writing and acting.
Too depressing for me, I think this might very well be all true. If you like to watch the dark side of prostitution in Amsterdam and Antwerp, give it a try.
Red night- not a high light
ferryrudolph23 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
When this series was announced I was expecting someting akin to Matroeskja's. It compares to that series like coffee from an office coffee machine compares to barista espresso.
The characters are bland and do not solicit symphathy. A cop who has a drinking problem and abandons her family or a cheap prostitute are hard to care for. The bad guys are also pretty lame. Ray van Mechelen was a nasty piece of work sure. But he had pzazz and a (mean) sense of humor. The other gang members each had a distinct personality. Here, nothing.
In fact, Carice's accent almost makes for a painful viewing experience.
And Red Light lacks pacing. They could have done with half the episodes, easily. But then might I suggest you do NOT make a series about prostitution. That involves nudity.
I really do not get what Halina and Carice are trying to do. Do they want to entertain? Or do they want to give a glimpse into the nasty world of prostitution?
Now I can understand that as a woman you have an issue with female nudity. But might I suggest.that a series involving prostitution might not be the best idea?
What, just WHAT are Carice and Halina trying to achieve? Do they want to entertain, do they want to educate or do they want to warn people about the seedy underworld of prostitution?
They fail miserably on all accounts. I mentioned Matroeskja's before. This show was written with entertainment purposed in mind and not to be a realistic representatation of the prostitute life.
Yet that series captures it brilliantly and it was shown worldwide. Amnesty International; even used clips from Matroeskja's to warn young girls in Eastern Europe of human traffickers.
That series was memorable. This was not. This is pure trash. Avoid, please avoid.
The characters are bland and do not solicit symphathy. A cop who has a drinking problem and abandons her family or a cheap prostitute are hard to care for. The bad guys are also pretty lame. Ray van Mechelen was a nasty piece of work sure. But he had pzazz and a (mean) sense of humor. The other gang members each had a distinct personality. Here, nothing.
In fact, Carice's accent almost makes for a painful viewing experience.
And Red Light lacks pacing. They could have done with half the episodes, easily. But then might I suggest you do NOT make a series about prostitution. That involves nudity.
I really do not get what Halina and Carice are trying to do. Do they want to entertain? Or do they want to give a glimpse into the nasty world of prostitution?
Now I can understand that as a woman you have an issue with female nudity. But might I suggest.that a series involving prostitution might not be the best idea?
What, just WHAT are Carice and Halina trying to achieve? Do they want to entertain, do they want to educate or do they want to warn people about the seedy underworld of prostitution?
They fail miserably on all accounts. I mentioned Matroeskja's before. This show was written with entertainment purposed in mind and not to be a realistic representatation of the prostitute life.
Yet that series captures it brilliantly and it was shown worldwide. Amnesty International; even used clips from Matroeskja's to warn young girls in Eastern Europe of human traffickers.
That series was memorable. This was not. This is pure trash. Avoid, please avoid.
Dragges on
henri-1305012 May 2021
What could have been told in two hours is dragged out over 10 episodes: Not convincing acting from Carice, towards the end it became predictable and unrealistic. Pros Geert van Rampelberg is the star actor in this series. Safe your time watch the recaps at every episode.
Abandoned after 2 episodes
fall198217 January 2022
Three main actresses are great. If anything, they are a good reason to watch the show.
However the material they work with has all the markings of a titilating thriller, but without the titilation.
So the tv series is in a weird place. It tries to be cognizant of the ways the female body and violence is portrayed (not always succeeding in that, I must add), but it is still at its core, a tv series that has female body and violence as its main ingredients. It didn't move to some other, more profound territory. It is nor here, nor there.
However the material they work with has all the markings of a titilating thriller, but without the titilation.
So the tv series is in a weird place. It tries to be cognizant of the ways the female body and violence is portrayed (not always succeeding in that, I must add), but it is still at its core, a tv series that has female body and violence as its main ingredients. It didn't move to some other, more profound territory. It is nor here, nor there.
Pity about the ending
Denis_Griffen2 December 2022
This drama is set in Antwerp and Amsterdam and focuses primarily on the sex trade and a particularly nasty pimp called Ingmar who runs a brothel with sex-trafficked Eastern European girls. 3 strong female characters also feature: Ingmar's "partner" who he obsessively controls, a police officer investigating the death of one of the trafficked girls and the upper-class wife of a client of the brothel who is found dead. The series comprises 10 episodes and for the most part is an excellent taut and gritty drama.
Sadly however, all this good work is totally undermined by a farcical final episode which stretches credulity to new limits. What a shame!
Sadly however, all this good work is totally undermined by a farcical final episode which stretches credulity to new limits. What a shame!
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