Netflix has released the first trailer for “The Law of the Beast”, a series inspired by the case of Mariusz Trynkiewicz and the introduction of the so-called Beasts Act. The four-episode production arrives on the platform on November 18.
What “The Law of the Beast” is about
The series, directed by Kasper Bajon, who is also a co-writer, unfolds across two timelines. In 1988, Poland is shaken by the murder of four boys. Major Anna Bersz leads the investigation, while her friend, psychiatrist Agnieszka Grabska, is tasked with assessing the sanity of the suspect, Mariusz Trynkiewicz.
The second storyline moves viewers to 2014, when the convicted man is set to be released after serving a 25-year sentence. According to the production’s description, the two women must then confront the consequences of past choices that broke their friendship. The story asks how to protect society without abandoning the principles of the rule of law.
Cast and creators
Agnieszka Grochowska plays Anna Bersz, Agnieszka Żulewska plays Agnieszka Grabska, and Michał Pawlik plays Mariusz Trynkiewicz. Bajon stresses that although the story is inspired by real events, it is for him “first and foremost a story about people who, representing the state and its institutions, face very difficult choices”. The director also speaks about situations in which law, a sense of justice and the need for security cannot be reconciled.
As reported by the website What’s on Netflix, Bajon is behind Netflix productions such as “Big Water” and “The Swamp”. The series will be available on the platform worldwide on the same day.
Background: the Trynkiewicz case and the “Beasts Act”
Mariusz Trynkiewicz, dubbed by the media the “Satan of Piotrków”, murdered four boys in Piotrków Trybunalski in 1988. His sentence was due to end in 2014. The case became the impetus for legislation allowing particularly dangerous offenders to be isolated after serving their sentences, informally known as the Beasts Act. Under these provisions, Trynkiewicz was placed after his sentence in the National Centre for the Prevention of Dissocial Behaviour in Gostynin.
What it means for viewers
The premiere is scheduled for Wednesday, November 18, exclusively on Netflix, and the series consists of four episodes. The production deals with a real crime against children, so discussion about how it portrays that crime is to be expected. Netflix describes the series as a drama about the boundaries of law and the responsibility of the state, rather than purely a crime thriller.
A week earlier, on December 3, another high-profile release will debut on the platform – we recently wrote about how Netflix released the trailer for “Pride and Prejudice”.
