Netflix released yet another coming-of-age show, and this time it’s a lovely coastal vacation set in the Polish seaside. Absolutely Beginners feels familiar, as the quirky protagonists set out to make a short film, they also get into a trio with someone living in the area. It’s not quite a love triangle though, even if the series is marked as romance, and even with its limited runtime, it’s dedicated to building up the friendship between the three. And this friendship is portrayed in such a tender and sweet way that respects both their unique dynamic and their individual paths.

Absolute Beginners is an intriguing coming-of-age series, as its young cast grows and learns and makes mistakes. Naturally, it devotes individual subplots to each of the characters, where they either overcome a challenge or explore things that are relevant for teenagers – including, but not limited to, picking a career path, sex, figuring out how and where to move, etc. However, the series can get overwhelming as the subplots aren’t just for the teen cast, there are other subplots for their parents as well. This isn’t necessarily a bad decision, but with only six episodes to tackle all the subplots, the show does feel like it drifts in certain moments.