Polo – Staffel 1

Polo is the oldest team sports, best described as a horseback version of hockey, with four players per team competing against each other. The game originated over 2,500 years ago in ancient Persia and spread through Central Asia before British colonizers brought it from India to the UK in the 19th century.

With a Netflix documentary series titled Polo, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect at least some background information like the ones mentioned above. And considering the series comprises five 45-minute episodes, one might hope for more than just a brief overview. At this point, it probably isn’t too hard to guess where this is heading: Polo delivers none of that. To be fair, the first minute of Polo does tease the potential for something interesting. But then a slightly older woman with sun-damaged arms appears on screen and declares that polo is a „sexy sport“ played by „dirty, sweaty boys.“ Naturally, she can’t resist throwing in some innuendo about the „riding“ involved. It’s already enough to make you roll your eyes.

Officially, Polo is classified as a sports documentary, but it only fulfills the term in its most literal sense. The series follows players as they prepare for the US Open, using fast edits to highlight the lives of competitors, their families, and friends. Yet neither the participants nor the production team have done themselves any favors here. If you already think polo is a pretentious sport for pretentious people, this series will only reinforce that belief. In fact, it has far more in common with one of Netflix’s many trashy reality shows than with a proper sports documentary – two genres the streaming platform is particularly fond of.

It’s hard to pinpoint what Polo is actually trying to accomplish. At times, it seems as though it’s trying to introduce the sport to a wider audience – a goal achieved far more effectively for tennis in Break Point. If that was indeed the intention here, the creators have done themselves a massive disservice. In its current form, the series feels completely inaccessible to anyone who spends their evenings watching Netflix. Instead, it caters to people who don’t know the price of a liter of milk.

Since the internet loves being the internet, Polo has already been branded by many as Netflix’s worst production. This criticism likely comes from people who haven’t watched the platform’s other reality shows (or, worse yet, actually enjoy them). The backlash also undoubtedly stems from the fact that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle serve as executive producers. Thankfully, their appearances are brief, but even then, they manage to embarrass themselves.

To its credit, Polo does have a few qualities worth mentioning. The storyline about a star player whose son is on track to surpass him is well-executed, and stories like these could have provided much-needed depth had they been explored further. Attentive viewers will pick up some information about the sport’s rules and other small details. And hidden among the shallow drama of the rich and glamorous, there’s even a fleeting moment of genuine emotion. But those highlights aren’t enough to save the show.

OT: „Polo“
Land: USA
Jahr: 2024
Musik: Sacha Chaban
Kamera: Isaac Mead-Long, Craig Hastings, Daniel Hollis

Ihr seid mit Polo schon durch und braucht Nachschub? Dann haben wir vielleicht etwas für euch. In unserem Netflix-Themenbereich sind Hunderte von Original-Produktionen gelistet, unterteilt nach Spielfilm, Serie, Doku und Comedy. Unten findet ihr alle Netflix-Titel, die wir auf unserer Seite besprochen haben.

Bei diesen Links handelt es sich um sogenannte Affiliate-Links. Bei einem Kauf über diesen Link erhalten wir eine Provision, ohne dass für euch Mehrkosten entstehen. Auf diese Weise könnt ihr unsere Seite unterstützen.