Transatlantic review: Netflix's historical drama struggles to make the cut

Transatlantic, Netflix's latest seven-part drama, follows the historical Emergency Rescue Committee (ECR), which rescued Jews, writers, artists, philosophers, and other blacklisted individuals from Nazi persecution in Europe. As rich and dramatic as the plot, centered around journalist Varian Fry and American heiress Mary Jayne Gold, sounds on paper, the series somehow managed to hit far below the mark with a story that was satisfying, but a depiction that was not.

Co-created by Anna Winger, the writer behind Deutschland 83 and Unorthodox, alongside the revered Daniel Hendler, the series follows a tone that was hard to match with either the dark truths of the war or the satirical takes on disasters. Its mixed tone and lack of commitment to the genre for the most part felt outright out of place, making the impact of the story dull in comparison to the subject matter.

With so many factors weighing down, Transatlantic still had a lot to stand up for, including the important history lesson it imparts in the form of an engaging drama. Its multiple stories of love in the midst of war and the efforts some artists and thinkers had to put in to survive were noteworthy additions.

Transatlantic premiered on April 7, 2023.

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Transatlantic review: A story to remember, a series to not

Transatlantic retells a story that most people already know of, at least in some form. Loosely based on The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer, the series follows Varian Fry (portrayed rather meekly by Cory Michael Smith) and Mary Jane Gold (Gillian Jacobs) as they try and get as many artists, thinkers, and rebels out of the persecuting eyes of the Nazis during the Second World War.

If the series could maintain the pace and commitment of the first sequence, which saw Mary Jayne Gold - a real Chicago heiress - trading clothes with a filthy young refugee woman before paying her to board a refugee ship, it could have been a far crisper story.

Apart from the two romantic storylines that run side-by-side - one following Mary Jane and the famous Albert Hirschman (Lucas Englander), and the other following the forbidden love between Fry and ERC colleague Thomas (Amit Rahav) - the series spends way too much time in diplomatic wiring of the country instead of drawing focus to the art and the protests that got these individuals in trouble in the first place.

There are plenty of things that do not quite make sense in Transatlantic. Despite the valiant history of the people involved in ECR, it often felt like they were driven purely by rage or by personal grudges, and not by the collective need for revolution.

While personal dilemmas are important, Transatlantic's real purpose never takes off perfectly, leaving a lot more to be desired from a tale that could have been really great.

While the entire purpose of this Netflix show seems to be trying to depict some epic stories, it never quite feels epic. On the other hand, it never feels absolutely grounded in reality either.

The series ends up in the middle ground with a great story to tell but not a great method to execute. It is still an important story and one that every citizen should be aware of.

Transatlantic is now streaming on Netflix.