My Unorthodox Life (2021– ) User Reviews

An obnoxious woman with a worthy goal

[kgft · 6/10 · 20 July 2021]

For those who condemn her for attacking an entire group, watch the documentary One of Us, also on Netflix. You'll have a better understanding of what she left and why she doesn't want her son to be sucked into that way of life. I think she's going about convincing him in the wrong way, but maybe, hopefully, by the end of the series I'll be proven wrong. I agree with her that fundamentalism in any religion is a huge problem. We see it with American right wing Christians, Myanmar Buddhists, Middle Eastern Muslim Al-Qaeda, etc.; they're all putrid peas in the same rotten pod. I fast forwarded through all the fashion world junk. Other than a few brief scenes it was irrelevant.

Addictive

[Lexilikes · 7/10 · 16 July 2021]

Ok so it's not a 10 but I want to bump up the rating because I'm 5 episodes in and actually love it. It's like watching the start of the new kardashians. It's kind of dated and awkward but I literally can't look away, I just want to watch more and more.

Also one thing I do love is how much of an advocate Julia Haart comes across for women and women in business! She's a boss and also seems so genuinely lovely.

If you love reality tv then go for it!!!!

Stop with the hate

[elie-10 · 6/10 · 19 July 2021]

Most of the hate is coming from people in the community she left.

It's sad that they don't want her to tell her story.

The show itself: Similar to other reality TV shows like the Kardashians (which I haven't really watched). It feels heavily scripted. If you don't like those other shows I doubt you'll like this.

I come from an Orthodox Jewish background and watched it because her background intrigued me. It's far from a must watch but I found it entertaining.

In terms of TV quality I'd actually rate it much lower than a 6. But I support her transition and hate all the people trying to shut her down. She has the right to tell her story and people need to stop calling her liar and denying her own experiences due to their own insecurities.

Enjoyable light entertainment

[mazcalling-248-292986 · 7/10 · 17 July 2021]

Unlike many of the other reviewers, I have no affiliation with Judaism.

This show isn't about religion, but about a family and their lives, it's not a '60 minutes' expose about Orthodox Judaism.

I found this show interesting and entertaining. Some characters are great, a few are ok, but overall it's a good show. If you like light entertainment such as Real Housewives etc you will enjoy this as it's mindless enjoyable entertainment.

CRINGE

[judalipman · 1/10 · 15 July 2021]

Overall felt staged and very uncomfortable to watch. Julia Haart is very controlling and pretends to be "woke" and super understanding, yet she refused to allow her younger son to pursue his dreams by studying Judaism.

Not as bad as I thought

[kimlargetx · 7/10 · 18 July 2021]

I thought this show would be super awful but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Julia can be a bit much but I can only imagine what it was like to go from where she was to having the freedom she has now. Bat and Ben are the best though!!!!

Meh...

[Chriss-Enefrega · 3/10 · 24 August 2021]

This reality show has very little "real". Everything looks planned and staged (the cameraman in the bedroom filming one of Julia's daughters in bed having sex - or make it look like it - with her boyfriend: really?! Not to mention the dialogue). Lots of money but little good taste in both style and behaviour. Julia wants to rule everyone's life; she has a God complex. Silvio, Robert and Ben are the only characters that inspire sympathy.

Please don't listen to the 1 star reviews, clearly agenda from the Orthodox community

[vpavlicevic · 8/10 · 22 July 2021]

So I have been enjoying this show for quite some time. It is far from perfect but very enjoyable and inspirational. Then I went to see the imdb rating, expecting it to be around a 7.5. However to my shock it has a 4.3 rating, so I started reading the reviews and most of them are un argumented 1 star reviews. Cleary a butcher job from the Orthodox community that felt called out. 1st of all the leading lady Julia is an inspiration to many. She came from a very traditional fundamentalist background, and rose like a phoenix and made herself the successful self made woman head of Elite World Management that she is. Is she controlling and stubborn? Perhaps. But she does know better than most of her children what is good for them, and only wants the best as is clear that many of them are still suffering and under influence of the fundamentalist mentality they grew up in. For example, Aron thinks that he wants to live a life of Religion, but only because he knows nothing else and is not even allowed to explore it or even talk to girls, he is only 14 and has literally been brainwashed since he was a baby. You can literally see Julia breaking down crying realizing he has probably fallen in too deep into the abyss of fundamentalism and religion to be rescued. Its very sad. Batsheva on the other hand is half baked, she is trying to come out of her religious shell but at the same time she has her husband who is guilt-tripping her for wearing jeans and other nonsense of the sort, yes really have to wonder who is in the wrong here! So all in all, not the best reality show on TV but very interesting context and an enjoyable and inspirational watch of an uber successful woman who is trying to save her family from the claws of fundamentalism. I recommend it to anyone who is opening his/her eyes regarding organized religion and the damaging limiting effect it has on human personal life.

Misunderstood show.

[tuckerlanie · 7/10 · 26 July 2021]

I think the show is misunderstood. Let's be real people it's a reality show, some or if all scenes will be staged; just like EVERY other reality show. Unlike the other reviews, I don't think they're kardashian wannabes. For the people saying that she is lying and Netflix is lying is ridiculous. You must take everything said or seen with a grain of salt and that even goes for documentaries! Just because you don't believe in what Julia is saying about the community doesn't matter, because it is her truth and her experiences. Some scenes are very awkward for ex: the scene of her youngest daughter making out in front of the office, Julia and her husband weirdly making out at dinner, the scene of the youngest daughter in bed with a guy, and many other but those scenes made me laugh so I can't knock the show for it. The show was entertaining for me but I can see how others wouldn't like it.

Hypocritical much

[damatk2568-179-380636 · 4/10 · 22 July 2021]

I find the women very hypocritical. She is completely intolerant, and at times disrespectful, of people not feeling like she does, but she wants complete tolerance and respect of herself and whatever she believes. She projects this on her own children and even in manipulative ways. She pushes her beliefs on everyone, even when it's clear it's not what they want or are comfortable with. She's way too imposing on her daughter's married life. The youngest daughter is an arrogant entitled brat. Another irony of all this, is that her current lifestyle is made possible by her now-husband, who owns the business...so she's still beholding to a man.

I think the overall objective topic is great to explore, this show is just hypocritical and redic.

Keep it going!! Push for change!!

[luckydoola · 10/10 · 20 July 2021]

This show is fantastic! It really shines a light on how toxic fundamentalism is and you can clearly see that it is triggering a lot of people because of it (see all the 1 star reviews to discourage others to watch it). I love how genuine Julia is and have mad respect for how much she went through to get herself out of a culture that keeps women suppressed. I also love how strong her daughter Miriam is now that she is able to be herself. It's wonderful to see people standing up and shining a light on these archaic practices that keep women as uneducated baby making factories.

What you seek is what you get

[mcflower90 · 6/10 · 31 July 2021]

Is it superficial and Karadshian wannabe? Yes. But is it "reality" tv? Also yes. And we all watch reality tv for fun. Not to get educated. We like some of the caracters and some of them are anoying and that is fun.

SMH

[dianamhiggins74 · 3/10 · 15 July 2021]

Most of this is so over the top but I love Bat' she's is a great young lady. Her communication with Ben is how a successful relationship can be maintained rather then destroyed when one is changing. I hope she has success in her life.

Disgusting

[winklesa · 14 July 2021]

I get that this is a document on Julia and not on the Orthodox community but I am already two episodes in and half the time she isn't making it about herself, but how about the Orthodox community is a cult and brainwashed. I don't understand how anyone can relate to her. I feel very bad for her son-in-law in the scene where Batsheva brings up wearing pants. You can see how cold she is.

Julia seems hypocritical

[pjbbfpvnxn · 6/10 · 15 January 2023]

Julia says everyone should be able to express themselves and do what they want.

Yet, if they have a different opinion than hers she seems to bully them and make them feel like they are wrong for feeling that way and doesn't stop baggering them. She wants to take credit for everything and wants her kids to kiss her as* all the time. She's very self centered.

She needs to step back and let her kids live their lives how they need. She left the Jewish community and now wants everyone else to follow her away from the Jewish religion, I think, to help justify she made the right choice. Everyone needs to come to these decisions in their own way and time frame. And enough with the vibrators, geez, she just meets someone for the first time and talks to them about vibrators, sooo inappropriate.

Yikes

[ruthieg-19157 · 1/10 · 15 July 2021]

I was skeptical about this show but I was intrigued, so I started watching the first few episodes. After 5 episodes, I couldn't watch anymore. My opinion of the show has nothing to do with the religious aspect. Julia is a really bad person. She claims to have left her religion because the 'fundamentalist' way ran her life and forced her to do things she didn't want to do. But then you see her forcing her children and friends to do things they do/don't want to do!! She is really mean to her son-in-law and is very controlling. It's hard to watch her pretend to be a feminist queen while treating her family and friends in a controlling, mean way.

Reality tv at its worst

[benceman-94012 · 1/10 · 14 July 2021]

This is not reality tv. I have no idea why this exists.

I liked it

[deevh · 10/10 · 16 July 2021]

Addictive show. It's a reality show but I found the people kinda likable and smart and for the most part sweet, if super materialistic, etc. The religion part was interesting in how all the kids were affected differently and the young son is shared custody. The ex-husband seemed pretty reasonable and nice. I dont watch tons of reality tv and found myself wondering how much of everything is orchestrated by the producers and how much the various characters get paid, etc.

Mind numbing lies

[thenonminimalist · 1/10 · 24 July 2021]

So let me see if i get this: a 43 year old woman with a small "escape fund" and zero education and/or ties in the fashion industry, escapes her ultra-orthodox jewish family. With the tiny sum she saved up she starts an international(!) shoe brand. Within a year this brand is sold to a major lingerie brand and she, again - still no relevant education or lifelong experience, is named creative director of said brand. A short while after, she's appointed CEO of a global modelling agency. What an inspiring, self-made woman!

Oh, BTW, she happens to be married to some rich Italian dude who owns both the lingerie brand AND the agency.

So fake made.

Doesn't deserve the bad ratings

[natalie-mestevller · 9/10 · 11 August 2021]

I am writing things only to help out with the bad ratings, that apparently come from people that are very religious or can't deal with this type of women.

I find the main message of this reality amazing: You can re-do your life and have a fresh start at any stage, at any time, no matter what. If that is not inspirational, I don't know what is. Get a grip, people!

Might be the worst Netflix show ever

[chavivakain · 1/10 · 14 July 2021]

Just all around boring and uncomfortable to watch felt so unauthentic. So over done and trying way to hard to be a cheap kardashian wanna be knock off.

Awful

[majoq · 3/10 · 18 August 2021]

I'm not a religious Jewish woman. I'm a liberal one.

But I find Julia extremely authoritarian and disrespectful.

For someone who left the community because they forced her to do things she didn't want or like, she behaves that way.

Apparently never learned that lesson.

Bat and Ben are loveable.

The rest sounds scripted. Fake.

The rich aren't different

[srooks1 · 1/10 · 16 July 2021]

My Unorthodox Life is reality television at its worst. None of the family members is likeable; they all live in an unreal world of wealth. They believe their crises are earth-shaking, but their problems are not the stuff of high drama. This series shows shallow people living a self-centered life. There is no need for a second season because there is nothing more to learn about this family.

Entertaining

[kymora · 10/10 · 16 July 2021]

I enjoyed it. I am guessing most of the hate is coming from people within very structured religions. They seem more down to earth than the kardashians and less drama. Is it scripted? Probably, they all are. But its there to entertain and delivers and is interesting to see one person's story.

Pathetic attempt at trying to be the new Kardashians

[zarine-09562 · 1/10 · 14 July 2021]

My unorthodox life needs to be fact checked. It was clearly dramatized for shock value. Everyone is entitled to make their own life choices but shaming an entire community and spreading lies is not only Anti Semitic under the guise of " fundamentalism" its outright slander. The show is disrespectful to the people who actually did escape cults and were abused. Netflix please better educate yourself next time. Its also boring and uneventful.