Unorthodox

— What a surprise! I remember when every educational film company was doing some kind of film on orthodox Judaism, probably around the time “Yentl” came out, and I previewed one too many of them. Then, a couple of years ago, the worth-seeing “Menashe” was in theaters. By then I thought I’d seen enough of such things and I shied away from Netflix’s “Unorthodox” thinking it was just another film focused on orthodox Judaism which, in a way, it is, but more importantly, it’s about an incredible act of rebellion. It’s the story of a Jewish girl who flees her arranged marriage to start a new life abroad, a daunting task for someone coming from so Orthodox a background. The production is meticulous and the details are fascinating. More importantly, the story transcends religion to become an heroic, coming of age story. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2020. 213 min., 4 episodes. Created by Anna Winger. Starring Shira Haas, Amit Rahav, and Jeff Wilbusch.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/netflixs-unorthodox-depicts-a-melancholic-escape