Upamanyu Biswas
Netflix’s ‘Go Ahead, Brother’ is a crime thriller show that revolves around a former Special Ops soldier named Oskar, whose untimely panic attack during a mission leads to a tragedy within the squad. Subsequently, he finds it difficult to transition back into civilian life, especially after falling into a dire financial situation owing to his late father’s gambling debts. With few options remaining, Oskar embarks on a daring quest that throws him into the deep and dark waters of organized crime, where one wrong move could crumble his whole life around him. Under the direction of Maciej Pieprzyca, the Polish show explores the consequences of an individual’s decision and is rife with betrayals, twists, turns, and an exhilarating dive into the cutthroat world occupied by gangsters.
Go Ahead, Brother Features an Inside Look Into an Elite Police Unit
Originally titled ‘ Idź Przodem, Bracie,’ ‘Go Ahead, Brother’ is a fictional story about a disgraced police member’s descent into a life of crime as he tries to escape a sticky circumstance. Scriptwriter Kacper Wysocki drafted the narrative to probe into the ins and outs of a special tactical unit within the police, where a whole host of drama and unforeseen tragedy leads to an intermingling of law enforcement with the world of crime. Intriguingly, the story begins with a well-versed premise of a protagonist caught in the hands of a local mob boss, which compels him to take a series of drastic actions to escape being ruled under his thumb. It sets up the grounded motivations through a cliched inciting incident, but one which works well despite not shaking up the genre conventions massively.
Owing to its heavy focus on the high-octane life led by the special ops division, a great degree of emphasis is placed on the slick action scenes. It lends a heightened quality to the drama while also falling back on more down-to-earth sequences when needed. The cast prepared extensively to attain the physicality necessary to embody a special ops officer, particularly Piotr Witkowski and Konrad Eleryk, who play the two lead characters. Combining the actor’s commitment to their part and the “dirty” look in the cinematography adds a layer of immersion when the pulse-pounding action scenes take off. In the case of Witkowski’s character, there is also an added angle of him suffering from panic attacks whenever things get rough. It layers a deeper psychological truth to the whole subject matter of being on the frontlines.
Go Ahead, Brother Delves Into the Complex Motivations of its Two Central Leads
‘Go Ahead, Brother’ is a story that relies heavily on the relationship between its two main protagonists, Oskar and Sylwek. Although they do not necessarily see eye-to-eye in every situation, it allows for a more gritty narrative to emerge where not everyone gets along for obvious reasons. As such, the script draws the two characters as individuals with separate commitments and their own agendas driving them. For instance, Oskar’s guilt over his discharge from the police is a strong motivating factor throughout the series. It leaves him in a bad place at the start and continues to haunt him. The character is almost convinced that he is a bad influence wherever he goes and is the sole reason for ruining everything and everyone around him.
Meanwhile, in the case of Sylwek, who is also Oskar’s brother-in-law, there is a sense of responsibility driving him at all times, mainly because he has a pregnant wife waiting back home. Both Oskar and Sylwek bond together when the difficulties of their financial realities hit them hard. Even if the relationship moves forward reluctantly, it captures some semblance of authenticity, which helps the characters feel like they belong within the framework of what is portrayed. Therefore, in its own way, the show manages to alight upon a range of themes like love, family, corruption, crime, betrayal, and politics amidst a cacophony of chaos. It allows for a rich drama that never becomes one-dimensional in its delivery.
Undoubtedly, the key sticking point with the show is its escalating nature, with a drop in the ocean slowly turning into a wave by the end. However, it never breaches its own logic or sets up anything that becomes far too unreasonable and separate from its grounded reality. That is also because it knows when to pare back the action and focus on the drama. Conversely, the creators showcase a great deal of knowledge for when to go big with a bombastic sequence. Its execution, for the most part, hinges on this ability. It is also deft in how it explores the world of crime and its perils for those who treat it as a shortcut to success. Although this aspect sets up some exciting stakes for the story, the two protagonists have to suffer through many ups and downs to find their way out of the mess.
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