Operation: Nation review- Is the new Netflix film worth watching?

Operation: Nation (Kryptonim: Polska) is Netflix's latest offering in its film catalog. The Polish-language comedy-drama, which was meant to evoke some sense of ideological awareness, premiered on the streaming platform on April 12, 2023. Coming from director Piotr Kumik and writers Jakub Ruzyllo and Lukasz Sychowicz, the film follows a love affair between Pola (Magdalena Mascianica), and Staszek (Maciej Musialowski).

The ambitious Operation: Nation also boasts a strong cast with Borys Szyc as Roman, Antoni Królikowski as Kajetan, and Piotr Cyrwus as Ksiądz, among others.

There is nothing wrong with the film's attempts at rafting a semi-comedic love story around a radically charged premise involving lovers from completely opposing ideologies. However, this film suffers many problems, including a flimsy backstory that seems to lack motivation.

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Operation: Nation is often as directionless as the misguided ideological group

First things first: Operation: Nation is a good attempt. With more effort and thought, it could have really turned into a beautiful film with satirical depictions of right-wing extremism and left-wing propaganda.

But what brings this promising premise down is the lack of thought behind each action. This makes the film too rushed and the moments lose their impact.

Beginning with a clever introduction to a group of right-wing extremists, who are apprehended while celebrating Hitler's birthday, the film kicks off with great promise.

At the heart of the story is Staszek, who has been lured into the extremism by his family member, Roman, who also happens to be the head of RYS, an extremist group dedicated to making Poland great again.

The on-the-face humor of ridiculing right-wing believers worked wonders in places. Of course, it would be quite offensive to those who do not get the sarcasm, but otherwise, it was a great setup until the point Pola comes into the picture.

Pola's entry creates a rift in this extremist group, with Staszek slowly growing sympathetic to left-wing ideas. It was also interesting how Staszek was avoiding the truth of his beliefs, giving a picture of how extremists know deep down that they are wrong.

After the breezy romance, which also serves as some of the most fun parts of the film, the story soon starts moving too fast. This is where Operation: Nation fluctuates. Its rushed pace and almost no consequences in most scenarios slowly make the film hollow as we approach a packed climax.

Again, the climax of Operation: Nation is too simple, and should have been more intricate. While this is a norm in comedy films, this particular entry did not pose itself as a light-hearted drama or a slapstick comedy from the start, making the change in tone quite rough.

The predictability of the premise was not a bad thing, but the lack of depth in both characters and storylines dumbs down the innate potential of a very good storyline.

Even as Operation: Nation reaches its conclusion, it is not a terrible watch. At less than one hour 30 minutes, it is, in fact, quite a breezy binge, but it seems like an opportunity lost, as it could have been so much more

Operation: Nation is now streaming on Netflix.