"Wśród nocnej ciszy": Jan Holoubek's new series on a PRL-era crime arrives on HBO Max on 13 November

The series "Wśród nocnej ciszy" reconstructs one of the most notorious crimes of the Polish People's Republic. According to a WP Film review, the makers focus not on gruesome details but on a conspiracy of silence in a community where family and local hierarchy count for more than the law and human life.

The show, which premieres on HBO Max on 13 November 2026, is inspired by the Połaniec crime and by Wiesław Łuka's reportage "Nie oświadczam się". According to the plot summary, on the first day of Christmas 1976 three young people are killed under the wheels of a bus. The victims include a pregnant woman, her husband and her younger brother. Although there are witnesses, villagers insist they saw nothing. Officially it was declared a tragic accident, but the victims' mother and a young investigator refuse to accept that explanation.

Silence as a choice

The series does not reduce its characters to a single verdict. Some stay silent out of fear, others for money, others out of loyalty to their family, and some simply want to be on the side of the stronger. The reviewer says this lets viewers gradually understand how the conspiracy of silence could form and why it was so hard to break.

Maciej Kowalewski wrote the screenplay for all six episodes and directed the fifth. Jan Holoubek, known for "Heweliusz" and "Wielka woda", directed the series as a whole.

Cast

Łukasz Simlat plays village head Lech Wojda at the centre of the story, a role the reviewer considers one of the best of his career. Justyna Wasilewska plays his sister Irena Karaś, and Jędrzej Hycnar plays young investigator Henryk Maczek. Magdalena Biegańska plays the mother of the victims, Marcin Bosak plays one character's father, and Michał Pawlik plays the young Wiesław Łuka.

The critic's verdict

According to the review's author, the series is one of the strongest Polish productions of recent years. This assessment is the critic's opinion, not the result of an independent vote or ranking.