Below is Balázs Varga’s (Institute for the Theory of Art and Media Studies) report on a study examining the rise of the Central European crime and thriller genre in the 2010s, which maps social and political disillusionment in the post-socialist context and the role of female protagonists in contemporary crime fiction through the analysis of popular films and series.
This research project examines the rising popularity of crime fiction in 2010s Central Europe as a reflection of evolving social conditions and growing disillusionment with the post-socialist transformation. Focusing on three productions: Entanglement (Uwiklanie, 2011), a Polish paranoia thriller; X – The eXploited (X – A rendszerből törölve, 2018), a Hungarian political thriller; and The Sleepers (Bez vědomí, 2019), a Czech spy thriller series – the project investigates how these works portray the symptoms of social and political crises, the perception of a “stolen” regime change, and the struggle for female individual agency.
A central theme across these films is the depiction of a “stolen” transformation, where former state security personnel maintain influence beyond the socialist era. Each narrative features a female protagonist who investigates a crime, gradually uncovering a larger political conspiracy intertwined with her personal history. This fusion of conspiracy thriller conventions with the (emotional/traumatized) detective archetype enables the films to explore individual and collective helplessness, paranoia, and societal malaise.
Nearly thirty-five years after the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Central European countries continue to wrestle with disillusionment concerning parliamentary democracy and neoliberal values. This widespread disappointment is compounded by regional and global crises such as the 2008 financial collapse, the 2015 refugee crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Within this context, crime fiction, especially noir and paranoia thrillers, emerges as a sensitive barometer of social and political anxieties, reflecting both unmet expectations and the lingering consequences of transition-era promises.
The analysis emphasizes the role of female protagonists in linking personal agency with broader social malaise. Their investigations reveal the challenges of exerting influence within opaque power structures, exposing the tensions between individual agency and collective inertia. Furthermore, issues of secrecy and transparency are central: the films explore how knowledge of historical truths, particularly regarding the post-socialist transformation, shapes both personal and social action and agency.
These works also demonstrate the transnational dimensions of genre, drawing on global thriller conventions while remaining grounded in local Central European contexts. Entanglement adapts American paranoia thriller elements, X – The eXploited integrates Nordic noir conventions, and The Sleepers resonates with Western espionage narratives. Despite this, all three retain a distinctly regional perspective on post-socialist political, social, and gendered dynamics.
In sum, the project highlights how contemporary crime fiction in Central Europe addresses the enduring legacies of socialism, social helplessness, and the tension between individual agency and systemic opacity. By foregrounding female detective protagonists, these films offer nuanced reflections on gender, power, and social malaise, while deliberately eschewing conventional resolution or catharsis, emphasizing uncertainty and persistent anxiety within the post-socialist transition’s sociopolitical landscape.