Netflix has made five serial adaptations of Harlan Coben’s prose in recent years. One each in France and Spain, two in Great Britain and one in Poland. Therefore, “Keep calm” makes the Poles catch up with the British in terms of manufactured modifications. It’s hard to imagine other than as a gesture of confidence from the platform towards local artists and a testament to the tremendous success of Into the Forest. The 2020 production had its drawbacks and did not translate the original novel perfectly into the language of cinema, but it was hugely popular around the world. It was also appreciated by Western critics who knew it as “The Jungle”.
Prior to the premiere, “Keep Calm” was sometimes presented as an entirely new and fresh story, and sometimes as a continuation of the story from “Deep in the Woods”. The first option is closer to the truth, but it is worth clarifying any doubts in advance. The new Netflix series is a mixture of crime fiction, thriller and drama, as well as an adaptation of the 2008 novel “Hold Tight”, published in the United States. Harlan Coben often reverts to familiar heroes in his work, but In the Woods and Keep Calm tell completely different and unrelated stories.
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