User Reviews

This debut of a Greek production on Netflix is remarkable. It has all the ingredients that make for a great cinematic experience: diverse themes that affect ordinary people, titillating music, engaging dialogue (terse but thoughtful, sometimes witty and wise) and creative use of foreboding.

The viewer is able to relate to each of the major characters. Episodes are devoted to a major character. Orestis, Haris, Sofia, Fanis, Maria, Michalis and Haralambos come to life. Thus, the viewer knows how he/she develops. Compelling drama then ensues as the characters interact.

The settings help in making a heart-rending story: the idyllic Greek islands of Paxos and Corfu on the Ionian Sea.

Haris Alexiou, Maris Kavoyianni, Marisha Triantafyllidou, Christopher Papakaliatis, and the young actors Khelia Andriolatou and Orestis Chalkias deserve our ovation.

Now that Greek cinema has caught the attention of Netflix, do we expect more of the same quality Greek films from this video streaming leader? Parakalos.

Great job from Christopher Papakaliatis! Maestro is a show about human relationships, difficult choices, boundaries and significant social issues like domestic violence. The story gets better and deeper as the episodes flaw. The characters are developed slowly and nicely as they face their everyday reality and struggles with their "demons".

The cast is truly amazing! What can I say about Maria Kavogianni??? She makes me cry with her performance sometimes.. For me her story is the most heartbreaking and touching..

The scenery is absolutely brilliant, as it takes place in a beautiful Greek island full of blue and green! The style is vintage and the music background fits nicely.

This mini-series really worths a try!!

I didn't expect much when I started watching Maestro in Blue, as I've never watched Greek series or movies. Even though I usually hate reading subtitles, from the very beginning, I realised that it was totally worth it.

After watching the trailer, it seemed to be just a romantic melodrama, however from the beginning you're presented with a mystery which keeps you want to watch more.

In my opinion the actors are also doing a great job. Some of the shots are beautifully done, and overall the series is visually pleasing.

P. S. I'm watching this straight after white lotus, so I have something to compare it with.

BRILLIANT! GENIUS! I WANT ALL SHADES OF BLUE AND COLORS FOR MAESTRO!

My first Greek series thanks to Netflix and what a delight!

All is perfect: acting, story lines, music, cinematography and scenery.

It is light and profound at the same time.

Very probable stories.

The Greeks have achieved a master piece and I can't wait to watch more.

Maybe a second season for Maestro, they left it open ended.

Or more movies and series from same team and actors.

I am in awe and speechless how they tackled so many issues with virtuoso and realism.

The acting was super from all: the younger cast, the oldest and even the despicable character.

DON'T MISS THAT GEM!

I've only written one or two reviews in imdb but I had to speak up about this mini series. Disclaimer: I never was a fan of Papakaliatis (until now) so my review is objective. This series is something else, it's revolutionary, it's intriguing, it's inspiring, it's emotional! This is great work and I'm so glad to see that someone truly cares about giving food for thought about what's going on in the average Greek family, about violence, about different sexual orientations, about love. Our society needs series like this to take at least a step forward and finally overcome those boundaries! Thank you for this! All the actors are amazing. Thank you! This should be taught in schools. If we've learnt one thing from this series is that you should love and embrace your children no matter what. Be kind, be respectful. Some people are in so much physical or/and psychological pain that you have no idea about.

Finally, the Greek television comes back with a high quality series; on direction, cinematography, script and music. Beautiful scenery in the islands of Paxoi and Corfu, fantastic music in the background and well thought-through dialogue depicting the, unfortunately, hard-to-face truth about remote Greek communities.

The series will offer an opportunity through Netflix for people abroad to watch outstanding Greek actors, such as Kavogianni, Mouratidis and Tsortekis, as well as musician Alexiou. Papakaliatis invites dialogue on deeply rooted patriarchy, domestic abuse, homophobia and political agendas. However, also highlights the beauty of the Greek culture; the generosity, community, cultural appreciation and history, strong family unity and what is widely known as "filotimo".

Overall, the show is at a similar level of production as series that come from other countries. It is worth your attention and I highly recommend. On a plus side, it will probably convince you - if you are still considering - to visit Greece.

Perhaps the best drama series that has been shown in Greek TV and is deservedly on Netflix! The aesthetic is amazing, the performances of the actors are riveting and the topics it deals with are quite timely.

What stands out is the realism with which the scenes of domestic violence are rendered and the performances of the excellent actors, Yiannis Tsortekis, Maria Kavogianni and Giorgos Benos in these scenes.

Also, unexpectedly amazing is the performance of the iconic Greek singer Haris Alexiou, who plays the grandmother.

This masterpiece created this year by Christoforos Papakaliatis deviates from the Greek standards, both in terms of script and direction, and is worth watching!

Unlike Papakaliatis early works, Maestro is a true gem. Without a doubt he has come a long way and has made great progress in film making. Above all, Maestro is a very good story told by real people who face every day problems and try to cope with them. Very important issues are raised such as domestic violence, racism and family matters that everyone could relate to, more or less. Moreover, the direction and cinematography of the series are brilliant. Another very big plus is the selection of music, which if i'm not mistaken is again Papakaliatis' job. In conclusion, i find Maestro to be one of the best greek tv series i've ever watched (well still do) and is the only one that makes me get emotional. Can't wait for the next episode and why not for a next season. So glad that it is airing soon on Netflix and it is going international. Cheers to the next one Christopher!

This Greek crime thriller recently dropped on Netflix, I knew nothing about it and went in cold solely on a recommendation. I couldn't even find an IMDb rating because it is listed under the shortened name "Maestro." The story arc follows musician Orestis (Christoforos Papakaliatis) who travels to the idyllic Greek island of Paxos from Athens in 2022 to revive the summer music festival after the worst of the pandemic. It is clear from the opening scenes that nothing on the streets of Paxos goes unnoticed - eyes are everywhere. We are clued off in episode one that, in part, this is a murder mystery.

The best take-aways are the adept and attractive cast ensemble, the storyline (like peeling a multi-generational onion that jettisons sideways), incredibly creative cinematography (DP Antonis Zkeris), and a sound score with song choices by Kostas Christides that are carefully curated. One critic complained about too many entangled romances. For me, the clandestine love scenes, while important to hold the nine episodes together, were not as interesting as the fact that the fate of the lead characters were held together by their participation in criminal activity.

The series is reminiscent of White Lotus, but the latter comes up light in comparison. By episode six of this series, there is a sequence that is pure Yorgos Lanthimos - the reference is unmistakable. Episodes six through nine have a different pace and creative structure, which makes it near impossible to not watch six through nine in a binge.

Oh how we love to hate that we like Papakaliatis' work, well, at least partially. He most definitely isn't some inventive, original, break-through mastermind. However, I think he's a clever cinema lover with good taste and charm, who knows how to pick actors (and singers apparently -wow, just wow) and what it takes to create an engaging spectacle that appeals to the vast majority of the audience (possible haters who are in fact secret watchers included):

• A catchy story. A mixture of love -always forbidden, relevant/trendy social/political issues, lots of drama and a dose of humor to lighten things up.

• Beauty. From the astonishing female lead to the wonderful cinematography and meticulously chosen music, everybody and everything are beautiful, super clean and tidy, extremely detail oriented.

But apart from these elements that tick Papakaliatis' boxes and most importantly, Maestro offers top notch acting. Natural, simple and truthful acting, that makes you forget his occasional beloved weaknesses: the copied scenes/dialogues from other movies/series, the cringey lines, his favorite Woody Allenish monologues and dialogues, the stereotypes, the politically correct preaching, criticizing capitalism from a capitalistic point of view like talking to a 5 yo (no hints or meaningful scenes, just spoon fed ideology) and the fact that he cannot resist keeping the male leading role (always portraying the moody, nice, romantic, charismatic guy that all women fall for) for himself. I must say though, I found him to be much more mature and relaxed here, acting and directing wise. Bottom-line, I enjoyed Maestro. It's well deserved being on Netflix, it's a huge success and well done to everybody.

I don't normally write reviews midway through a series but feel compelled to flag up this excellent and very promising discovery. It has some plot similarities to Ozark but much tighter and hopefully not running out of steam through being too extended.

But the freshness of the action and screenplay also reminded me of the excellent series, also set in Greece, "The Durrells".

Delightfully drawn characters and all well acted, the mysteries are steadily being revealed (so far I am on E3).

I just hope it keeps up to the current standard. If so, I may even consider awarding one of my rare 10s.

One mystery that I hope will become clear soon is that there is a first episode of an "unknown series" showing on IMDB.

UPDATE AFTER E9.

The later episodes didn't maintain the early promise and I reduced my earlier rating. The main issues were the rather intense focus on the tricky relationships, which left the other plot elements a bit neglected. The relationships between the main characters became rather annoying in the way they flitted from passion to hostility sometimes in a matter of seconds. Also, almost all the relationships were so deeply flawed it seemed unrealistic. I haven't found the answer to the "unknown series". I don't want to get into plot spoilers but the ending is rather open implying there could be more. I'd probably watch another series, but I think I would have preferred it to be resolved in 9 episodes.

Pity it didn't maintain early promise but it was still a worthwhile watch.

I want to start this review with a positive note and admit that the technical elements are much more improved than Mr Papakaliatis previous works. The cinematography and photography are beautifully done and they capture the beauty of the Island. I also liked some surreal imagery From episode 6. Also some of the cast members are gorgeous with their acting.

But unfortunately like every Mr Papakaliatis previous works, Maestro too have a weak script. Most of the characters are not developing, too many "messages" for 9 episodes and the ego of the director is preventing the narrative to fully develop. Also i don't like the facts that Mr Papakaliatis is putting his actors to tell the message to the camera rather than show it.

In some cases he is successful to show it, for example the story of the abusive father, played by the best actor of this TV series is we'll executed. In contrast the sixth episode for example clearly tries to promote mr Papakaliatis political ideology and does nothing else. It just has actors talking to the camera.

Also The main romance is not working, mostly because mr Papakaliatis and The girl of interest, both of them, have a completely lack of acting talent So to rap this up. Greate cinematography and photography. The music choices are easily the protagonist of the series. And some actors are doing their best. But unfortunately underdeveloped characters and stories, weak execution of many messages, an ego that prevents the creator to go a step further and awfully executed duo for the protagonist roles.

A mediocre piece of television that i would recommend to see only for the technical elements.

In my opinion at least Mr Papakaliatis is a talented director. But he isn't a filmmaker. He can't write and direct successfully in my opinion. He need someone to give him a script and directed. Otherwise he is just a mediocre storyteller with recycling themes.

And good lord , people can't unfortunately see the faults! If you support the mistakes they never heal.

If i could rate it 11/10 I would. Couldn't take my eyes off the screen the entire time. One of the best series I've ever seen.

Growing up in Cyprus, I could feel the resemblance of the 'island life' lived by the characters. The storyline is incredibly touching and a much needed showcase of real life in all areas of Greece (and the world).

I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a masterpiece TV series.

Cannot wait for season 2 and cannot wait for the day I get to visit the beautiful island of Paxous where Maestro is set.

Thank you to all crew and cast for this incredible series!

I've never been fan of the Greek drama series because one always sees cringey performances with a tendency to a tragically presented soap opera with the level of a first year drama student and a stiff and awkward-out of the every day life script than an actual "real life drama". BUT! Despite the fact that the script stiffness remains and it's easily noticeable, this series ruined 9 hours of my life. The facts are realistic and actually real, the devastation is present and consuming. I've never lost my sleep due to the pain caused by something I watched and somehow every character becomes at some point relatable and one can actually feel their pain and sadness and desperation. Very theatrical moments that help even more to relate and understand every character's background and cause of their tragedy and pain . Absolutely recommended BUT IT'S TRIGGERING ALL THE WAY.

I could not be more excited to have a Greek made and themed show. This is a well made and well acted drama about a mysterious musical director who comes to a small island in Greece to prepare a summer music festival. The characters are complex and interesting and they're acted with depth. The series is beautifully shot, and as it is in Greece it is visually stunning. In proceeding I was concerned that I might be disappointed by the show letting me down, but just the opposite. This show kept me riveted and titillated from the first moment to last. It is not what I expected and it is crazy at times. It is brilliantly edited and the story told from the perspective of multiple key characters. I watched it in greek, but it is available in dubbed formatted as well. Keep these Greek shows coming.

Powerful! That's the only word that comes to mind when thinking about this show. Mainly known for their cuisine, and the beauty of their country, here the Greeks have, unlike what the large majority might expect, hit hard with this incredible piece of art. Their entry on the largest streaming platform in the world certainly did not go by unoticed nor dissapoint as the series easily found its way to the top 10 list for tv shows in many countries around the globe. The production designer of this series should definitely be applauded for the selection of the many sets, and locations, all of which were breathtakingly outstanding. Also, the actors knew exactly what they were doing when came the time to perform. They may be unknown for the large majority of us, but that did not prevent them from shining to the best of their ability for the whole planet to see. Additionally, knowing that this show told the story of a musician, I was not expecting anything less from the soundtrack. Saying that the composers nailed it in that area would be a understatement. So go ahead, watch it, watch it, watch it, for the actors who played wonderfully, for the plot that grips you from start to finish, as well as for the lanscapes that showcase Greece's natural appeal. You will not be deceived.

Christopher Papakaliatis is really a very talented and wonderful person and he created a very special series that passes many social messages that should be utilized from all over the world. He managed to add Maestro to Netflix making it the first Greek production in an application that is now famous all over the planet. I personally believe that as many people as possible should see Maestro so that they can have better perceptions and attitudes about the world through the messages included in this series. Domestic violence, homosexuality, relationships and social stereotypes are included in it. Serious issues that concern the whole world. So apart from the social issues, the series is very touching, has a nice flow, beautiful music and talented actors who played their role perfectly.

Such a pleasant surprise. Watching this TV show is an experience. The way we dive into the psychology of the characters is unique and it definitely gives you a different perspective of the society and how the world is perceived by other people. You understand their problems and you sympathize with them. Overall a very well done TV show with touching performances. I also need to talk about the music. Both the score and the songs and themes that are used are all moving and in addition to the captivating scenery of a Greek island they are a treat for one's soul. I honestly can't recommend it enough!!!

After this show went viral and finally came on Netflix I decided to give it a go and watch it.

I understand that the people that are used to Greek TV series believe that this is a cinematic marvel but for anyone that has actually seen a wide range of TV series and movies this doesn't feel original at all.

I feel like I have seen the same story a hundred times before now on different American/European series and movies. Someone new comes to a small town with new ideas stirs the pot for everyone. Even the whole forbidden love doesn't seem original. It's a pity it could have been something better.

... reviewers appear to like this show a lot (IMDb average rating of 8.2)... it might be that they really like 'her' a lot... playing a character nearly a decade younger than she actually is, she does perform really well, looking-great-doing-it (she's-NO-teenager)... it's missing her when she's not onscreen for lengthy periods of time audiences need contend with... story's okay if fairly-illogical-predictable.. scenery is very pretty

... one critic writing.. "as the show progresses to the end of its second episode, things started to become boring mainly because of the slow pace and how so many sub-plots were being introduced... a story including a stranger coming to a beautiful island could have taken so many turns still, but the writers couldn't make it into something captivating" ... another from The Guardian wrote.. "In short, for those who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they like. The rest of us may just need to keep taking the Sanatogen and wait for someone to wheel us into the shade for a nap."... still this highly successful Greek series made its debut on Netflix in Greece & Cyprus, now premiering for audiences in the U. S. in March '23

... 05.04.24 ... now the second season getting ready to drop... sure the main plotline still to remain an affair of a late forties married-man and this gorgeous 'teenage' girl, and how they get this to be not-creepy... thirty years age difference when goes this young's not cool, and would never work out in reality... they gotta turn this somehow... interesting to see if-how they do.

Find a nice tourist location, write a story just about everything, throw in a handful of social problems we've dealt with 20 years ago, build a forbidden romance between a beautiful girl and a good looking man, endorse some spineless direction, shallow characters, mediocre acting and ta da! You have one of the least interesting series out there.

Especially Papakaliatis' acting lacks any kind of depth or nerve or whatever actors do to entice their audience and keep them hooked. He is the director too. Really?

My take from the 3 first episodes I forced myself to watch: let's go to Paxoi for summer holidays.

Being Greek, I have come across most productions by Cristopher Papakaliatis and never really cared for any of them. He has some sort of nationwide infamy for overly dramatic scenes, portraying himself as the hot guy every woman falls for in nanoseconds, as well as for a particular romantic obsession with milfs. Thus, I was actually biased and didn't expect anything which can keep me for more than a couple episodes. However, Maestro features a great cast and is actually a very mature and interesting work which, in the end, manages to entertain.

Maestro is undoubtedly the best Greek production in recent years, but that bar is very very low. The real question is: Does this really need to be on Netflix? Can it compete with other similar series? Can it be of any interest to wider audiences outside Greece? I believe that the answer to all these is a resounding yes. It's set in a beautiful island and it manages to capture the atmosphere of a closed society (during the pandemic) where everyone knows everyone and hypocrisy rules supreme. The plot progresses quite smoothly, while a little bit of mystery and some darker moments keep you wanting for more. The development of the characters and the accompanying storytelling has been done quite well; some performances are astounding. It also does a very good job at showing some deeply ingrained societal problems and injustices, without simpilistic "good vs bad" or "us vs them" takes. Even the worst characters are displayed as a creation of society and the series constantly tries to remind us that we all have a role to play in shaping it. The portrayed issues definitely concern wider audiences to a lesser or greater degree.

Of course, it also has many flaws. The dialogues feel a bit "canned" at times or maybe too theatrical (or perhaps like "Amelie" set in a Greek island?). Some scenes actually feel very unrealistic (I have been to many parties, have not seen even one resembling those in the show) and I find the main romantic story quite unconvincing. Thankfully, the show does not rely too much on it and is actually more concerned of telling the side stories of the island's inhabitants from their own perspectives. Altough I definitely like that the series is socially sensitive, it can feel a bit overloading at times and it's as if though the depicted issues could better fit in 2-3 distinct series. By mixing them together in a single mini-series, you are bound to just scratch the surface and can't really take a moment to celebrate any good outcomes. It also has several boomer moments (WE WEREN'T IN FRONT OF A SCREEN ALL THE TIME GOOGLING STUFF) while it could have done a greater job depicting younger generations and their problems.

Overall, I believe it's a great series which manages to stand out, mainly due to its atmosphere. It's quite entertaining and you 'll want to watch what happens next as the plot is not as predictable as it seems at first. Of course, like many other series, some episodes are a bit boring, while others are absolutely great (e.g. Episode 6). I never believed that the first Greek production on Netflix would actually be *that* good. Let alone that I would write a review about it. It's not the best thing around, but it does have its moments and it's definitely more suitable for binge-watching than most stuff on Netflix. You won't regret it.