Don't expect to watch a biography of Sigmund Freud but rather a fictional thriller starring a (young) Freud starting in Vienna, constantly mocked in a time of political unrest...
The photography is beautiful and somewhat reminded me of "Penny Dreadful" without its actor's excesses or the abuse of CGI.
If this series is taken as a thriller featuring the character of Sigmund Freud and not as some biopic...it is very enjoyable. However at some time I would love to see a series/motion picture about Freud -something like "A Dangerous Method" minus Jung...please!!
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mTopoMax_deleted24 March 2020
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barca_AW22 March 2020The first Austrian Netflix show brings you to the Austrian Empire at the end of the 19th century and unfolds a story full of mistery, crime and hypnosis. It often feels like a delirium and delivers raw and brutal scenes I did not really expect. However, the presentation is phenomenal and keeps you interested all the time, even though there are some flaws. The acting is really good throughout the show. Fans of Freud could be disappointed because the historical accuracy is not given. I feel like the show really wanted to show Freud in a new light and therefore show something different. This new concept creates some of the best, but also some of the worst moments of the show. It really tries to be many different things and does not always know what it wants. Therefore this show is definitly not for everyone and you should have an open eye to some of Freuds theories, especially hypnosis. But the abstruse and recondite mix of Conspiracy, personality disorder and crime mistery offers a great view into the abyss of the Austrian Empire and also the Human Mind. 7.5/10
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There's nothing more funny than someone who has a presumption of what a show would be, then after watching it, attacks the creators for not matching his pre assumed ideas! Even a six year old would understand from the first episode that this is not a biography, and thats the nicest thing about.
I liked this show, its nice when actual historical figures are being used for raw imagination, Penny Dreadful did that really well, so did Boardwalk Empire. -
koisegg1 April 2020A really good and different series. Dark yet keeps your mind entertained. If you up for a different experience watch it!
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julia-7242624 March 2020It's not what I expected. I thought it would be a biopic. It's a crime show with elements of fantasy and horror. I only started to enjoy it, when I stopped seeing it as show depicting the life of Freud. Actually I think it would have been better if they just used fictional characters instead. What I really liked about the show was the look of it. The costumes, the backgrounds, the lightning. Everything looked nice. They also chose actors with distinctive faces. The show had good ideas, that I haven't seen used in a fantasy show. There were scenes, that were well made. Still they could have explored them more. The acting wasnt that great. The actor, who played Freud seemed quite unnatural. I somehow couldn't find myself caring for our protagonist. I found Alfred Kiss and his story much more engaging. Too many aspects of the story were glanced over. There should have been more about the Hungarian couple. Why have Schnitzler in the story if you forget about him and have him back for a few seconds when its convenient?
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Honestly, I am appaled at the level of ignorance from both critics and simple viewers that write reviews here! If you just bothered to read thoroughly Freud's masterpiece "Introduction to Psychoanalysis", you would have figured out before the end of the first episode that this series is NOT about the real historical person, but a wonderful and daring series about his magnificent writings and yes, also a fantasy combined with thriller, horror, historical fact bites and a real bold vision to put this together. For ignorants, the title of each episode covers a name of chapter in Freud's book mentioned above and dwelves in the depiction of the mental process in the book by the details of the case. Yes, it is Sherlock Holmes plus supernatural, but the movie explains a lot of its hidden meanings, you just have to pay more attention to the dialogue. The actors are perfectly chosen, and each actor plays the role 10 out of 10 according to the weight of role they were casted in for. Freud is appropriately played by Robert Finster who had to portray a young psychiatrist that would display both stiff and tormented attitudes, which is quite a difficult partiture. Ella Rumpf has a challenging role in portraying a delicate and sensitive young woman and a powerful demon. The inspector and the others play their part admirably and their stories or subplots are adding to and enhancing the substance of the main story. The decor, setting, light, cinematography are excellent. Nothing is ridiculous, despite all negative reviews posted here. If you can get past the title and open your mind to a new experiment and vision, then you might be able to see this series in a different perspective. Again, this series does NOT propose a biopic or documentary about Freud, but it is inspired by his writings having Freud as a hero in search of truth to validate his theories. Can't wait for the next season, kudos to the film makers and actors! European cinematography rocks indeed!
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thedarkhorizon26 April 2020I was not sure what to expect from it, I haven't read a lot of reviews before and just dived in. First I was like 'oh this is an accurate portrait of his struggles to become a great doctor' and then it faded into 'oh damn this is some intense mystery-entertainment stuff with hypnosis, witchcraft and mind-games'.
The vibe felt a LOT like Penny Dreadful (which is my favorite horrorshow until today), especially with the main female lead playing Fleur, which reminds me SO MUCH of Eva Green (and her delirious episodes in Penny Dreadful)... I can't think of anything else than that this show must picked up some scent here. The intro and overall color-sheme/look/pace/mood reminds me a lot of HANNIBAL series from BBC, with his slow paces, blue-orange color gradings and lingering horror.
Overall, I am not sure yet if I find this show entirely unique, but nevertheless I am greatly entertained by the images, the sets, the story and the actors. It might not be the most inventive horror series ever made, but it is an interesting fling onto 'Freud's mythos. Therefore, please give it some credits and don't bash it to death. After all, it never promised to be 'accurate'. Just enjoy the fantasies and myths re-evoked here. If you like the late victorian era (like me) and are up for some old sceneries in Vienna... go for it. They are fun! -
annamaf24 March 2020Beautifully directed with a nice plot...only for science fiction!! I wonder what Freud would say about this representation his.
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cagjsmith25 March 2020Freud would be mad about these lies, but its an amazing show. Forget about him and enjoy.
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This is an absorbing, occult murder mystery that progressively reveals the political plot it is part of. The setting is after the Austro-Hungarian war and we are shown the arrogance and crudeness of the empire's political elite.
Freud's story, although largely fictional, is told in a warm and humane manner - he's brilliant but also caring, and a maverick who is ridiculed by his peers. Because of some bizarre murders happening, he bands together with some unusual characters who he would probably not have gotten to know under other circumstances. Most of the key characters come across as raw and authentic: we have the hard-as-nails inspector suffering from PTSD, his loyal right hand whose true passion is performing as a singer, and Freud's house-keeper who is assisting him in his shams and tricks when she's not telling him off for being disorderly in some way.
There were some weaknesses to the storyline, too. It had too many moving pieces and it sometimes was clumsy in how it brought these together - for example, in one of the later episodes, we suddenly find out the flat next to Freud has been haunted all this time and that there is a connection with the murders. There are also some inconsistencies, like the military officer who is secretly courting a girl from a more modest background while also secretly living with his gay lover. Or Freud being sceptical of Fleur's visions at first but still tipping off the police about them anonymously.
Despite all of this, I still loved the journey down into the dark part of the unconscious with this spiralling, gothic story. -
juanfra_garciam24 March 2020This is anything but Freud. I think it is a mistake to call this show Freud: therefore it is an invention, a mysticism made from psychoanalysis.
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Pairic25 March 2020Vienna, 1886, Freud hunts a serial killer in a new Netflix series. A BBC series, Vienna Blood, set in the 1900s featured a student of Freud solving murders, assisting a police inspector. Indeed some of the material in Freud covers similar themes, bisexual army officers consorting with prostitutes, aforesaid prostitutes being murdered, seances,
Three episodes in though I'm taken by Freud. It handles the above topics in a more interesting fashion and also involves the Austrian Crown Prince (Grand Archduke) and scheming Hungarian aristocrats as well as a serial killer.
Getting even more Fortean with a Death Cult, possession or D.I.D. and touches of Folk Horror. in Eps 4 & 5.
And on to an incredible finale.
9/10. -
mtavcu12 April 2020This show reminds me of how important to check the reviews before watching something. It was a superficial show on many level, and this is tried to be compensated with an excessive horror. Even though, it provides some closure at the end, I just finished it for the sake of time wasted already.
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Silent_Rocco24 March 2020The first episodes were a pleasant surprise. Liked the production, the characters and general atmosphere. But ep 5 was bonkers (not in a good way) and ep 6 kept this vibe, so I stopped watching. The "it was just a dream" scenario only works so many times before it's annoying. And being somewhat believable first, all characters started to lose it at some point. Super pity.
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I usually enjoy these reimaginings of history.
Suspend all disbelief ye who enter here.
This is beautifully done and well-acted. The police inspector and his partner were especially enjoyable. Having little musical interludes was strange but fun.
I watched this in its entirety in a single day. I had no preconceptions about what is was and so was not disappointed that it wasn't a biopic.
I mostly followed what was going on but admit that part of my being freaked out from it is not only because it deals with some very bizarre things, but that there were time when I found myself totally lost as to what was going on.
Another negative for me was the score. It sometimes became oppressive. Maybe there was a reason for it, but it got in my way and distracted me.
I would watch a spin-off of Inspector Kiss and Poschacher solving crimes! ;)
I think you just need to go with the flow here. I'm glad I did. The story resolves, in the end, quite nicely for most of the characters. I was satisfied that I watched it and while I didn't find myself thinking and wondering about it after (like I often do for something really good), I'd recommend it. -
pibwl27 March 2020Firstly, the title "Freud" is misleading. You would expect slightly boring biopic, not a fictitious occult thriller, which it is. More appropriate name would be "Young Freud", as unwritten rule says, that this is a code for non-canonical adventures of young fictitious or historical characters, before they got famous. Take Young Einstein (1988) for example, which was not named "Einstein".
My impression is, that the creators were under big influence of the great Netflix hit Stranger Things (2016), and it would surely look different, had there not been Duffer brothers' hit. Of course, the action takes place a hundred years earlier, in late 19th century Vienna, and the serial is not appropriate four young audience. But the protagonist, nerdy and shy doctor, accompanied by tough police officer with a history behind him, discover a plot penetrating the city. Dr. Freud, ridiculed by his colleagues, develops a deep relationship and fascination with mysterious young lady, who possesses strange psychic abilities and is used by evil people. Sounds familiar?.. And Fleur Salome's visions in starting episodes are almost a carbon copy of the Eleven's mind exploring. Which is not a bad pattern, and does not seem imitative, considering, that German-speaking serial, taking place in late 19th century Vienna, is something very different from common Anglo-American productions. One more thing: I could not help thinking about possessed Sigourney Weaver from Ghostbusters (1984), while watching Fleur Salome in Taltos incarnation.
The serial explores forgotten fear of ordinary people committing bloody crimes being hypnotized, like in German classic from 1920s, Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920). Towards the end of series, the action gets more absorbing, and the whole thing is pretty entertaining. -
fredstrassen31 March 2020A literal biopic of Freud it's not...Freudian it is. An engaging, escapist allegory on the birth of psychoanalysis - covering many of Freud's ideas on dissociation, regression, desire, catharthis and so forth. I really enjoyed it as a diverting work of magic realism in an alternate Vienna with wonderful costumes and sumptuous gothic revival sets.
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nickeron26 March 2020If you want to call your series plainly "Freud" and your theme is Fantasy, Mystery, Crime you are marching down the wrong path. If this series wasn't trying to commercialize on the name of the famous psychiatrist for no reason, and used a random Austrian name like "Tobias Gruber", it would not be criticized so badly. There is nice cinematography - photography, nice acting, nice sound design and a lovely soundtrack. Surely there are a few problems with the directing choice of constantly showing "dreams" and the pseudo-artistic approach of storytelling here and there, but the whole series is not that bad. I honestly believe that if the main character was not around a historic figure, that the audience would have liked the series a lot more. I personally felt like I was being cheated by being shown so much nonsense connected to Sigmund Freud.
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seoido-fearghail25 March 2020Started good, though a weird mixture of fantasy and biographical/historical, however after the 3rd episode it became a poor copy of the Alienist and Penny Dreadful and just, meh.
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shraddhasharma196 April 2020I wonder why so many have expected a direct out of the book biography just because the name of the show is "Freud". Even Freud believed that every individual is unique and must be treated that way.
Cinema is personal to the creators and interpreting for the viewers should be on experience of the senses. Although I don't judge whomsoever disapproves, I also don't agree with them.
The series is engaging, dark and deep. To someone who didn't know 'Freud' personally or through the works that he chose to publish.. ( Martha exclaims 'What's not in the book is of no importance' or something like that) we must applaud the creative genius of the script and the actors to have embodies the roles so well!
It is NOT a biography, it is a Crime genre take on the basis of the working of the mind through Freud's eyes and boy! The show Beautifully brings to light the synchronicity between mythology, the spiritual world and psychology!
Watch it with a very open mind and you'll find it to be really fresh. Like all works of art that's forward for it's time, it's cathartic in it's own right! -
evelienpauly26 March 2020It's loosely based on him but the most disgraceful thing about this show is voodoo witchcraft Fleur Salomé who I believed must be based on Lou Andreas Salome. Who was a great writer and thinker of her time. Not a crazy witch.
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I was looking forward to a show depicting Freud develop his theories, but instead it is 100% fiction and other than a passing nod at psychoanalisis, what it is really about is a supernatural murder mystery. Which is not bad in and of itself, I'm quite a fan of both supernatural and murder mystery stories. The problem with this show is that it seems that the creators just randomly decided to throw whatever was handy at it in a sort of "the more, the merrier" mindset: hypnosis, steamy scenes, traumatized people of varying sorts, rebellion and politics, crime solving, séances and mediums, cult-like gatherings, power plays, dysfunctional family relationships, ghosts... and none of it coalesces into a coherent whole.
I think the major flaw is that the show fails to make one care about the characters and their motivations. Not even Freud is particularly likeable, and the whole sub-plot with the Hungarian royalty left me absolutely indifferent. I fail to see how one ruler or another would have made any difference at all to the overall story, and the show doesn't lead one to really care one way or another, so the entire thread is superfluous. The characters and their motivations are so obscure and poorly thought out that ultimately, it's easier and more natural to just shrug them off and leave them to whatever their fate may be.
It also fails to explain just what is going on with young Fleur and her time-stopping superpowers, or what was the purpose of cutting off the other poor kid's toes, and the ludicrous scene where we get to graphically "explore" Freud's Oedipus complex made me snort at the gratuitousness of even including it at all. Same goes for the "satanic cult" bloodbath. What was the point of that, if the same result could have been achieved with the hypnosis techniques that were already ubiquitously peppered throughout the story?
I'm giving it 4 stars because the scenes are pretty to look at and because there's one or two characters that actually engage the viewer. Personally, I enjoyed the housekeeper and the inspector's sidekick. So if you've really got nothing better to do, Freud will pass the time, but there are probably better choices out there. -
carlotaromano8 April 2020Just watch it! The more episodes you watch more you understand what is going on.
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karinvisser4211 April 2020The title "Freud" is confusing when you end up watching a horror series. I was disappointed but wanted to watch it all for the explanations. To be fair the series is bingeworthy and beautifully made. I'd love to see a real version of Freud though.
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manostzagakis26 March 2020Freud, is in most technical areas descent, direction,acting and costumes are pretty good with the atmosphere being engaging. However the overall message of the series (that we are all animals within who are suppressed by society's rules) fails to reach the audience as it suffers from many problems. Some of the scenes are at best laughable, because it is tried to explain seemingly "magic" powers with science, even when it makes zero sense. Moreover there is no reason on earth to name the series and the character by Freud if you are completely going to ignore the historic events (they tried to squeeze some of them in the series but failed). Overall, the series lacks substance and I would not recommend it.