All the Light We Cannot See on Netflix is a nice show. It has a nice message. Nice people. Nice acting. Nice effects. Nice setting. It is just one big peachy pile of nice. It is sappy at times, but that fades as the story moves along.

Honestly, the whole series would have been a dud without the mesmerizing performance of newcomer Aria Mia Loberti. Her acting feels the most genuine and believable. Maybe because she is not an actor. The other actors all do an perfectly professional job.

The show has two big distractions for me. The first was Mark Ruffalo’s awkward French accent. Since the whole thing was in English, there was no reason for it. His accent sounds like Pepe La Pew mixed with Inspector Clouseau mixed with that snooty waiter in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

The second was Nazis. When portraying Nazis, there really is only two ways a production can do it properly and remain sensitive to all the horror they caused: caricatures or realistic.

For example, in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Nazis are caricatures. They are played as over the top, mustache twirling villains who get their comeuppance. It is funny and it works. The Nazis are bad guys – full stop. No questions there.

Contrast that with Schindler’s List or Saving Private Ryan, the Nazis are gritty, worn out, and psychotic. This is more realistic. Actual Nazis were average people living inside a twisted system of institutionalized hatred, brutality, and dehumanization. Their evil was banal, grim, and methodical. This is why Ralph Fiennes portrayal of Amon Goeth is so haunting.

All the Light We Cannot See cannot decide what their Nazis are. They try playing both sides of the Nazi performance and it misfires.

They make the evil Nazis caricatures and the redeemed ones realistic. Since the show was intended to be realistic, I think the show should have made the Nazis more realistic. This would have meant scaling back the energy in performances from Lars Eidinfer and Ed Skrien as well as some others.

However, I can understand the hesitation with the director not wanting realistic Nazis. It runs the risk of making them relatable and even sympathetic. The last thing we need in the world right now is making fascism seem cool.

My complaints only add up to minor distractions. The overall story, tone, and acting are enjoyable. If for no other reason, watch it to savor Loberti’s performance. She is on her way to greatness.