Netflix quietly releases ‘heartbreaking’ drama about shocking real-life tragedy

Netflix viewers have been left ‘in tears’ watching a new drama series about a ferry disaster that left 56 people dead.

In the middle of the night on January 14, 1993, the passenger ship MS Jan Heweliusz was crossing the Baltic Sea, en route from Świnoujście, Poland, to Ystad, Sweden.

It was carrying 36 passengers, 29 crew members, 28 trucks, and 10 rail cars.

Within a few hours of the vessel embarking on its journey weather conditions due to Storm Verena, which was sweeping the Baltic Sea, saw wind speeds reach 160 km/h and waves hit heights of five metres.

With the ship struggling to stabilise, the crew reduced its speed. However this had dire consequences, with hurricane-force winds striking the ship and causing it to list.

At 4.30am the Captain ordered the ship to be evacuated, but when doing so many were thrown overboard due to the strong winds.

Within 45 minutes, the ship had capsized around 15 miles off the coast of Cape Arkona on the German island of Rügen.

Survivors later said that the ship had capsized so quickly that there wasn’t enough time to launch the many of the lifeboats. The water temperature was also just 2 degrees, leaving those few who managed to make it onto the lifeboats battling hypothermia.

Of the 65 people on board, only nine survived. The sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz was the largest peacetime maritime disaster in Polish history.

This week a new drama series recreating the tragedy has been released on Netflix, where it’s quickly become one of the most watched shows in the UK.

Directed by Jan Holoubek and told across five episodes, the synopsis for Heweliusz explains: ‘A storm forces the crew and passengers of a ferry to fight for their lives, leaving their devastated families to seek answers – and justice.’

The series has been labelled ‘the largest and most complex Polish television series production in recent years’, featuring over 120 named characters and 3,000 extras, and requiring a crew of over 140 members.

It was also filmed across 70 locations and required a staggering 700 tons of water.

After tuning in, viewers shared their thoughts, with many calling it a ‘masterpiece’.

‘Stories of the real-life people who lost their relatives, mixed with stories of the survivors and those who were involved in the events develop in a pace that will make you need to keep watching. It literally made me cry,’ user bursiewicz shared on IMDB.

‘A heart-breaking true story of a devastating catastrophe. You can literally feel the events and hopelessness crawling on your skin – nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, only death. Beautifully shot, with sombre colours and wonderful acting, it is one of the greatest productions on Netflix. I strongly recommend it,’ sennit shared.

‘I’m genuinely blown away by this Polish Netflix series. It pulled me in from the very first scene, and before I knew it, I’d finished all five episodes in one sitting. Every moment felt meaningful – beautifully written, perfectly acted, and visually stunning. The show captures the full spectrum of human emotion: trauma, guilt, anger, and hope. It’s rare to see something this honest and powerful. Truly a masterpiece, and one I’ll remember for a long time,’ Maciej-89 added.

In the years leading up to the sinking of the Heweliusz, it had faced nearly 30 serious accidents, which included a near-sinking in 1982 and a massive fire three years later.

Just four days before the disaster, its stern gate was damaged, and while the Captain wanted it to be taken out of service and repair, the shipowners said it could be done so at a later date.

The victims of the disaster included Polish, Swedish, Austrian, Hungarian, Norwegian, Czech, and Yugoslav nationals, including two children. Only 37 bodies were ever recovered.

Although Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka established a commission to investigate the disaster, it was suspended without producing a report in March 1993.

It was eventually ruled that the shipowner, Euroafrica, was responsible for the disaster, while the Polish Register of Shipping, the Szczecin Maritime Office, and Captain Andrzej Ułasiewicz were also found to have been partially liable.

It wasn’t until 2005 that the European Court of Human Rights granted damages to the victims’ families.

Heweliusz is streaming on Netflix.

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