Harlan Coben has made an enemy of me. I’ll admit that this enmity is in its nascent phase (it started in 2024), and there’s a good chance that, in the future, maybe my mind will change and I’ll become a fan of his work. But, for now, seeing his name gets my blood boiling. This whole affair began with Fool Me Once, which was released on New Year’s Day 2024. I mean, it’s one thing to release anything at that time of the year and a whole other thing to release something as boring, convoluted, and infuriating as that miniseries on the first day of a new year. Netflix and Coben recreated the magic on New Year’s Day 2025 with Missing You. That show was technically as mind-numbing as the last one. But given how the narrative had a subplot about a dog lover scamming rich people, which had little-to-nothing to do with the main plot, and how the miniseries ended things in the most bizarre fashion imaginable, it took my fury to the next level. And now, here we are, with Just One Look.
Marek Lechki and Monika Filipowicz’s Just One Look, which has been adapted from Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name by Agata Malesinska and Maciej Kowalewski, tells the story of Greta, who lost her memory in 2009 after getting hurt when a fire engulfed a concert she was attending. Karol Wespa, who had lost his son, Rafal, in the fire, took Greta under his wing and looked after her. Eventually, Greta met a guy in France called Jacek, fell in love with him, and they went on to build a beautiful family together. Things were going alright until, one fine day, Greta went to the local photo printing lab to get the pictures she had taken during the family vacation and found a photo that she didn’t recognize. It had a bunch of youngsters in it, and one of them bore a striking resemblance to Jacek. Greta brought this up really casually in front of Jacek, but the guy took it so seriously that he disappeared from her life. So, Greta started an investigation into this matter, with some assistance from public prosecutor Borys Gajewicz, and with each clue they got, it became apparent that the whole thing had something to do with the fire of 2009.
Given how Just One Look is the third Harlan Coben adaptation that I have watched, I think I have started to understand his style of storytelling. His main plot is always really simple and has a theme that’s really easy to understand. Then he adds a bunch of subplots and red herrings to create the illusion that the time and energy that the viewer is investing is going to be rewarded with a climax that’ll blow every other climax in the world out of the water. And right when the audience is at the edge of their seat, he opts for an anticlimactic conclusion, in the hopes of making people think about the real purpose behind such a dissatisfying ending. While you are wondering whether the finale is bad on purpose or just a result of bad writing, Coben is out there counting that Netflix moolah and penning his next piece of garbage, and the cycle continues. Now, credit where credit is due, Coben’s twists are truly unpredictable. What I mean to say is that they are so underwhelming that there’s no way you could anticipate such a tepid outcome. So, big kudos to Coben and those adapting his stuff for taking me on such an elaborate journey again and then revealing that, this time, it was all about copyright fraud.
Much like the last two Netflix-Harlan Coben collaborations, Just One Look is confusing enough to be engaging. It’s a really weird phenomenon, and I don’t really know how to explain it. Technically speaking, I know that everything, from the dialogue writing to the visual storytelling, is bad. No, it’s not just a matter of taste; the miniseries is actually really bad. There’s not a single frame throughout the 6 episodes that looks interesting. There are a bunch of Dutch angles, but unless you are Brian De Palma, Christopher McQuarrie, or Terry Gilliam, you should be careful with those. None of the characters talk like normal human beings. It seems like they are aware that they’re in a Harlan Coben adaptation and, hence, have to act like they are moments away from a major revelation. And then there’s the climax, which leaves you with more questions than answers, despite spending almost 6 hours on the plot. Yet it is impossible to look away from this train wreck. The miniseries never really does anything provocative or egregious enough to make you go for the off switch. After a point, the themes and the character arcs kind of fade into the background, and you just go along for the ride, waiting to see how horrible it can actually get.
The cast of Just One Look has done the best they can with what they have. Maria Debska has to do most of the heavy lifting. Cezary Lukaszewicz spends most of his screen time getting beaten up mercilessly by Miroslaw Haniszewski. Piotr Stramowski shows range but his character is ultimately really forgettable. Miroslaw Zbrojewicz gets to be mysterious; it’s just that when the motivation behind his character’s actions is revealed, his charisma becomes hollow. Marta Malikowska is alright; the inclusion of her character in this miniseries is perplexing, though. The same can be said about Andrzej Zielinski’s Karol: great acting, but what a pointless character. Monika Krzywkowska should’ve gotten more of the limelight given how pivotal she is to the plot. However, if you expect one of the main characters’ screen time to be directly proportional to their significance in the story, then you are setting yourself up for failure. Everyone in the supporting cast is fine. I didn’t see any bad apples here. So, I just hope they got paid properly. These Netflix adaptations of Coben’s novels usually end up being huge hits, and even though I hate the final products, I always pray that the actors are compensated appropriately.
No, I don’t recommend giving Just One Look a watch. You are better off catching a long nap than watching this nonsense. I know that Netflix’s subscription rates are pretty high, and you want to get your money’s worth. But I am sure there are lots of movies and shows that are better than this Harlan Coben adaptation if you’re trying to feel like you are not wasting your hard-earned wealth on this streaming platform. Here are some suggestions: Counterattack, Demon City, Toxic Town, Zero Day, I Am Married…But! Black Warrant, Vengeance Most Fowl, Carry-On, and Tomorrow and I. Despite the existence of all this great content, if you choose to watch Just One Look, well, don’t complain that you weren’t warned. That said, do share your thoughts on the miniseries in the comments section below. Also, let me know if you are a fan of Harlan Coben’s work or if you are a certified hater like me. At least it will distract me from the dread that’s been induced by the upcoming Netflix-Coben projects whose titles are pretty ominous, to be honest: Caught, I Will Find You, and Run Away.
