Absolute Beginners (Polish: Absolutni debiutanci) is a Polish teen drama television series starring Martyna Byczkowska and Bartłomiej Deklewa. It was released on Netflix on 25 October 2023.
Contents
Premise
Lena and Niko travel to the Polish seaside to make an admissions film for their dream film school. There, they meet a boy who will put their friendship to the test.
Cast
Main
Martyna Byczkowska as Lena Głowacka, an autistic teenager and Niko's best friend
Bartłomiej Deklewa as Niko, Lena's best friend
Jan Sałasiński as Igor Tymczenko, a promising young basketball player from Silesia who is attending a basketball camp on the coast
Paulina Krzyżańska as Malwina, Igor's summer fling and Niko's friend
Katarzyna Warnke as Tamara, Lena's mother
Piotr Witkowski as Dawid, Lena's stepfather
Anna Krotoska as Bogusia, Niko's mother
Andrzej Konopka as Paweł, Niko's father
Julian Świeżewski as Marcin, Igor's coach
Recurring
Maciej Kosiacki as Jacek
Jakub Wieczorek as "Ryba", Malwina's father
Ewa Ekwa as Wika
Maciej Maleńczuk as the campsite owner
Mariusz Bonaszewski as the club president
Guest
Agnieszka Holland as the chairwoman of the examination committee
Agnieszka Smoczyńska as a member of the examination committee
Xawery Żuławski as a member of the examination committee
Natalia Fiedorczuk as a member of the examination committee
Łukasz Maciejewski as a member of the examination committee
Jerzy Matula as a member of the examination committee
Production
The series was shot in Ustka, Sopot, and Hel.
Release
The series' first season was released on Netflix on 25 October 2023.
Reception
Reviewing the series' first episode, Joel Keller of Decider wrote, "With some interesting lead performances, and a plot that goes beyond the standard teen coming-of-age stuff, Absolute Beginners sets up an intriguing story about teens who either aren't sure about what they want or are sure but have trouble expressing it."