About Blinded by the Lights
Blinded by the Lights, known in Polish as Slepnac od swiatel, is an HBO Europe original limited series that premiered in 2018. Adapted from the bestselling novel by Jakub Zulczyk, the eight-episode drama is set in contemporary Warsaw and follows an unnamed cocaine dealer who supplies the city's wealthy professionals, artists, and night-life crowd. The series unfolds over the seven days leading up to New Year's Eve, tracking his methodical routine as it begins to unravel.
The protagonist is a disciplined, detached operator who keeps his clients and his emotions at arm's length, narrating his world in a cool internal monologue. His carefully ordered life is disrupted when a friend returns from prison, a debt to powerful figures comes due, and a woman he cares about pulls him toward the possibility of escape. As the countdown to midnight continues, the routine that once protected him collapses into paranoia and violence.
Directed by Krzysztof Skonieczny, the series was praised for its stylised visual language, pulsing electronic score, and unflinching portrait of Warsaw's underworld. It became one of HBO's most acclaimed Polish productions and helped establish the network's local original programming in Central Europe. The show is frequently cited as a landmark in modern Polish television drama and was recognised at festivals and national award ceremonies.
