Amsterdam Empire Review 2025 Tv Show Series Cast Crew Online
From the outset, Amsterdam Empire presents a compelling premise. It tethers together the glamorous shoes of high-society ambition with the grimy underbelly of the cannabis trade in Amsterdam, following the rise of Jack van Doorn, the founder of a booming coffee-shop empire called “The Jackal,” and the upheaval that begins when his secret affair emerges and his cunning ex-pop diva wife Betty (portrayed by Famke Janssen) sets out to dismantle everything he built. The series is from the creators of Undercover and Ferry (Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen and Piet Matthys) — which brings hope that this effort will combine slick production values with strong storytelling. The heightened draw is Janssen speaking Dutch onscreen for the first time in her long career, which already sets this apart.
Visually and thematically, Amsterdam Empire exhibits strong bones. The setting—Amsterdam’s coffee-shop culture, the canals, the luxury mansions contrasted with hidden greenhouses—is intriguing and drenched in potential. Some production elements shine: the cast, given the gravitas of Janssen and supporting actors (such as Jacob Derwig as Jack and Elise Schaap as the journalist Marjolein) appear well-chosen. The idea of weaving together a domestic power struggle (wife vs husband), business empire (the coffeeshop/ cannabis world) and moral-legal tensions (what is legal, grey area, what falls outside) sounds textured and layered.
However—and this is where the show begins to falter—the execution of these layered ambitions is uneven. Critics have pointed out that Amsterdam Empire suffers from a tonal confusion: is it a soapy marital revenge saga? A crime thriller about the drug underworld? A business drama about empire-building? The trouble is it tries to be many things and settles for none. One review states: “the series refuses to choose” between the melodrama and the narcotics thriller, and thus neither genre is served properly. The characters often feel like archetypes—Jack as the imperious mogul teetering on unraveling, Betty as the scorned woman whose leap into vengeance risks caricature. Amsterdam Empire frequently tilts into exaggerated territory rather than allowing subtlety, and that is where engagement suffers.
Famke Janssen’s turn as Betty is one of the largest draws, and she brings a committed and lavish performance. Indeed, her embracing of a larger-than-life ex-diva persona, replete with glam, theatricality and scheming, is often entertaining. She, herself, has commented on how she tried to keep some degree of sympathy in Betty, rather than simply portray her as a monster. Yet even a strong performance cannot wholly compensate when the writing around her lacks depth: the motivations behind many of Betty’s machinations are opaque, the stakes often feel undercooked, and her transformation from wronged wife into strategic “take-everything” opponent lacks nuance. Critics observe that her schemes feel targeting the “easiest marks” and the story sometimes strains credulity.
On the husband side, Jacob Derwig as Jack van Doorn has the unenviable task of embodying a character built up as powerful, yet quickly revealed as brittle and flawed. While this inversion is interesting in theory, in practice Jack’s character arc is one of little real evolution: the show appears more interested in his fall than in the complex internal life of the man who built the empire. Critics note that there is little humanity or dimension afforded to Jack, reducing him to a “quietly pathetic” figure rather than a compelling anti-hero.
Beyond the leads, the supporting cast and subplots are underwhelming. Characters like Jack’s daughter Katya, his son Patrick, or his mistress-journalist Marjolein show initial promise, but many of their arcs are either dropped or insufficiently developed. The world of the coffee-shop empire, the legal grey zone, the criminal thrusts—all of these remain under-explored, meaning the show often reverts to the domestic revenge plot rather than delivering the broader crime-business saga it teases. One review states: “…the show introduces and drops side plots like it’s nothing, like a concerned wife of one of Jack’s associates undergoing chemotherapy.” For a series that ostensibly wants to explore ambition, empire, morality and betrayal, there is a surprising lack of world-building.
Pacing and structural choices also pose problems. Despite the crime-thriller potential, Amsterdam Empire offers few genuinely tense or thrilling sequences. The action sequences are sparse, and when they occur, some are described as farcical in execution rather than gripping. The tension that should arise from a mogul’s empire being threatened, a wife’s crusade of expose and sabotage, and a world built on legal/illegal foundations is often replaced by melodramatic confrontations, betrayals and luxury-set pieces that prioritise style over substance.
One can admire the style—the cinematography, the cityscapes of Amsterdam, the luxe vs grit contrast—but if the narrative momentum and character investment are lacking, the visual sparkle cannot fully compensate. There is also the question of tone: the series occasionally attempts moments of levity or absurdity (Janssen herself discussed balancing the darker crime elements with comedic-absurd moments). But the blend of high-stakes crime drama and soap-opera revenge saga rarely finds a comfortable middle ground: too serious to be light, too glittery to be gritty.
On the thematic front, the show offers interesting possibilities. The coffee-shop/ cannabis setting in Amsterdam is a somewhat fresh backdrop for a high-stakes drama, and the idea of a wealthy empire built in a semi-legal industry, then threatened by family, betrayal, and internal collapse, has resonance. The show touches on questions of power, loyalty, ambition, what one must sacrifice for success, and the fallout of betrayal. Reviews suggest that it also tries to reflect something uniquely Dutch—glamour alongside the cannabis culture, the idea of success in a city with a liberal reputation yet strict laws—making it potentially intriguing for international audiences. Yet the series seldom delves deep into these themes; the focus remains more on the immediate conflict rather than the broader implications of empire, legality, ethics or social systems.
As a first season (seven episodes, each around 60 minutes) it appears to lay the groundwork rather than deliver a fully realised vision. If a second season is on the cards, there might be room to expand the world, deepen characters and clarify tone. But as a stand-alone offering it falls short of greatness.
For viewers deciding whether to watch: If you’re drawn to high-gloss drama set in the Netherlands, if you enjoy seeing an internationally recognised actor such as Famke Janssen in her native tongue, and if you’re intrigued by the idea of power, revenge, and underworld business in Amsterdam, then Amsterdam Empire delivers some good moments. There are tasty visuals, a sense of style, and enough hook in the premise to keep you watching. However, if you expect a tightly plotted crime thriller with nuanced character development, deep world-building of the cannabis empire, and strong consistency of tone, you may find yourself frustrated. Several critics describe the show as a “regrettable misfire” despite its assets.
In summary: Amsterdam Empire is a series with compelling ingredients—strong lead cast, an interesting setting, slick production—but it doesn’t quite pull the mix together into a wholly satisfying form. Its ambition overshadows its execution, and the tonal uncertainty, under-developed secondary characters and uneven pacing weaken what could have been a standout. It is a show worth sampling, but you may find yourself wanting more depth and coherence than it currently offers.
