Unseen

Pleasantly surprised! This had solid writing, acting, plot and pacing. Good character development and timeline sequencing.

The latter half of the season is more edge-of-the-seat than most mystery/crime thrillers. In the last episode I learned to trust the incredible luck of the main character against insurmountable odds. The woman is unkillable! She had some very unlikely saves - BUT I appreciate her for the stoic superhero she turned out to be.

Well worth watching for the understated, strong female lead. Nice to see a film from South Africa as well.

Fingers crossed there will be more to watch in 2024!

The story is about Zenzi Mwale whose husband, Max, takes the fall for the murder of a one Yazid on behalf of his crime bosses. Zenzi is looking for Max on the day he gets out of prison but he is no where to be found. What follows is Zenzi unexpectedly building up a pile of bodies in her search for Max. But she is just a cleaner. She is the Unseen. No one suspects her....until they do.

Now, there are some shallow micro-plots, unuseful characters in some scenes and a few mistakes that could have been solved with deeper thinking.

BUT....the good actors are really good and the story is quite solid. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Unseen is a stunningly executed South African thriller that masterfully blends emotional depth with edge-of-your-seat suspense. Across its first two seasons, the series tells the story of Zenzi Mwale, a quiet domestic worker whose search for her missing husband draws her into a violent criminal underworld. What begins as a personal quest becomes a profound exploration of invisibility-how society overlooks those who clean its floors, raise its children, and quietly endure its injustices.

Season 1 lays a slow-burning but intensely powerful foundation, pulling you into Zenzi's world with precision and empathy. The writing is sharp, the cinematography striking, and the pacing deliberate yet impactful. Season 2 builds upon that momentum, diving deeper into Zenzi's moral dilemmas and the systemic rot she confronts. It avoids the common sophomore slump by raising the stakes and tightening the story without losing its soul.

Gail Mabalane delivers a tour-de-force performance-raw, restrained, and unforgettable. Her portrayal of Zenzi is layered with strength, pain, and resilience, anchoring the series in emotional truth.

Unseen isn't just a crime thriller-it's a social commentary dressed in noir. It questions who gets seen, who gets heard, and what happens when the invisible finally push back.

Highly recommended for fans of grounded, character-driven thrillers like Ozark, Unbelievable, or Top Boy.

Why take a high quality, first rate production and remake it?

The Turkish version was far more honest, the writing was stronger, and the production value and cinematography certainly supported the narrative far more than this version. Not a waste of time but certainly not a reason to justify this remake. It just tries too hard, and isn't convincing when it matters most. The underworld characters felt flat (writing to blame as much as the acting) and far too many scenes were void of conflict with uneven pacing (editing to blame here too).

Like Blood & Water before it, this comes across as a night time soap opera that lacks gravitas. Would love to know how and why so many of these far below average productions are being acquired by Netflix.

First I wanted to give it about a 6.5, I feel like the over all ratings are a wee bit low, so I went up to 7 to try to add a bit of balance.

I did not know that it is a remake of a Turkish version, so I am coming in to this blind without the ability to make that comparison.

The pace and balance of the plot and things like flash-backs I thought was great. It is well put-together. I.e., engaging, binge-able, and better than most stuff available.

Reading some of the other reviews I imagine that if you had to watch it as weekly episodes you would not enjoy it as much as binging.

The performances of most characters were great.

I don't feel like it is the sort of thing that you should try to pick apart and complain about, and instead give some credit for out-performing the majority of recent material.