Feedback (Informacja zwrotna) is a Polish thriller series based on Jakub Żulczyk’s novel of the same name. It is directed by Leszek Dawid, while the screenplay is written by Kacper Wysocki. There are five episodes in the series with a runtime of about 44-55 minutes.
The ensemble cast of the series includes Arkadiusz Jakubik as Marcin Kania, Jakub Sierenberg, Dominika Bednarczyk-Krzyżanowska, Nel Kaczmarek, Ireneusz Czop, Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik, Dariusz Majchrzak, Juliusz Chrząstowski, Agata Turkot, Marta Mazurek, Agata Wątróbska, and Przemysław Bluszcz.
According to the description of the show, the story revolves around a former rock star who struggles with addiction and a deteriorating memory, leading to the collapse of his family. To make amends and find his missing son, he embarks on a frenzied quest.
Feedback Review
The show starts off with Marcin Kania, an ex-musician who now works in real estate, waking up bruised up and covered in blood inside his son’s apartment. He can’t seem to remember anything other than that he had gone to meet his son, Piotr, in a restaurant. He had confessed to doing something wrong and seemed to be fearing for his life. However, after that Marcin’s memory was completely blank. He didn’t even remember how he got drunk despite being sober for the last 2 years, since joining the support group.
But now, Piotr is missing and all suspicions are raised against Marcin since he was the last person to meet him. As per Marcin’s history of alcohol addiction and abuse, even his wife and daughter started to suspect that he could have done something to his son. This triggers him to jog up his memory and remember everything that happened that night. It leads him down the dark path where he is faced with the demons of the past that he wouldn’t want to remember again.
He goes back to the restaurant and traces his steps back. Some faint memories come up and he realises that Piotr might be in much graver danger than he had anticipated. On the other hand, in the backdrop, the issue of privatisation of properties and protests from tenants are making the news. As new information about Piotr unravels, we discover how Marcin could be at the centre of everything that happened to his son. While startling truth pushes him in the corner, he tries to fight off his urges in order to do the right thing.
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One thing that gets more vexing is how Marcin’s character becomes more and more worse with every episode. Meeting him at possibly the worst point of his life, one would expect that he would gradually change for the better and maybe we would see some character development in him. However, the more we know how he treated his family and reached the point of no contact, we understand why nobody can stand him. And his present self doesn’t make it any better to even empathise with him.
But as everything gets revealed in the end, it starts to make sense. There’s a perfect reason for why Marcin’s character is like that and that fuels the mind-bending deception in the story. Along with him, we question if his memories are correct or if his mind playing games on him. To put it in simple words, it gives us a perspective of what it would be like to deal with an addict. How we would hope and believe their words of change and then be disappointed when things turn for the worse.
For people who might have dealt with or are dealing with such people in their own lives, it could be quite triggering. The show is certainly intense and emotional, as thrilling as the mystery behind Piotr’s disappearance is. At first, I thought the story was quite predictable and felt frustrated that they weren’t making any progress despite everything being clear. However, it’s not exactly what it seems. I could only advise patience as the show comes to an end impressively.
Once you complete the show, the title Feedback will also start to make more sense. Feedback is a term used in psychotherapy where a statement is given by a conversation participant (support group members) in which the person reveals the observations regarding the behaviour and statements of another participant. To help them in their recovery journey. Through this title, the creators are commenting on how Marcin received so much feedback in his two years of therapy. Yet he truly opened his eyes and mind to the ‘feedback’ he received from Piotr in the end.
Rating: 4/5
Feedback is available for streaming on Netflix.
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