Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cursing, drinking, smoking, sex in Polish sci-fi allegory.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Project UFO
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Set in the early 1980s, PROJECT UFO is a Polish science fiction series that follows the investigation of a UFO landing in a quiet village near the Polish-Soviet border. As Poland's government nears political transformation, on national television Dr. Janek "Jan" Polgar (Piotr Adamczyk) is hosting the (fictional) TV show Close Encounters, which is dedicated to studying the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrials and is at risk of losing its prime-time slot. While attending Warmia's first UFO convention, Polgar meets amateur ufologist Zbigniew Sokolik (Mateusz Kościukiewicz), who claims that he has evidence suggesting that aliens actually live in water. The smug TV host invites Sokolik to Warsaw be a guest on his popular show, only to humiliate him during his appearance. But when Polgar receives a strange letter claiming that a Truskasy farmer in Warmia was abducted by green frog-like people that emerged from a lake, he sets out to investigate and prove the story true. Polgar, like Sokolik, wants the world to believe that these beings are on Earth, but soon he loses control of the narrative as the danger of an authoritarian government increases.
Is It Any Good?
The four-episode series offers a dark and quirky science fiction narrative that unfolds at a slow burn. What's more, as the investigations unfold and truths are revealed, it's not clear if the question about the presence of aliens in Poland is ever answered in Project UFO. The show weaves deliberate ambiguities throughout the story, such as the sightings experienced by Sara (Daria Kalinchuk), the daughter of Warmia police officer Julia Borewicz (Julia Kijowska).
The entire plot is also an allegory for the restrictive government imposed on Poland before the end of the Cold War. Project UFO examines how an oppressive regime, with the help of media, can manipulate a citizenry so successfully that it renders it incapable of seeing through the distortion, even when presented with the truth. That interesting perspective is difficult to understand unless the viewer is familiar with Polish history and has the patience to stick with the series until the end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrials. How do you react when someone claims that they have evidence of alien life on Earth? Why?
What statement is Project UFO making about media as it relates to political manipulation?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 16, 2025
- Cast : Piotr Adamczyk , Mateusz Kosciukiewicz , Julia Kijowska
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Science Fiction
- TV rating :
- Last updated : May 6, 2025
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