High Tides Review (2025) | Netflix’s Knokke Off: Worth Your Time?
High Tides Netflix Review: Is This Series Worth Watching in 2025?
Netflix’s High Tides (original title Knokke Off) is the kind of glossy European drama that looks like a luxury ad, then immediately hits you with messy friendships, toxic romance, and family power games. If you’re asking whether it’s worth watching in 2025, the real question is: do you want a stylish, addictive, morally chaotic binge that’s more “soapy tension” than “prestige drama”?
This review is spoiler-light (no big twists revealed), and it includes a quick watch guide, Reddit reactions, plus embeds you can explore while you read.
Quick verdict (2025): Should you watch High Tides?
- Worth it if: you like rich-kid drama, love triangles, beach-town chaos, and shows that keep escalating until you say “wait… what?”
- Skip it if: you need likable characters, grounded realism, or tight “mystery-first” plotting.
- Bingeability: high. Episodes are short enough that “one more” becomes a lifestyle.
| Best for | Fans of soapy teen/adult drama, luxury settings, interpersonal warfare |
|---|---|
| Vibe | Glamour, chaos, secrets, status anxiety, emotionally reckless decisions |
| Language | Originally Flemish/Dutch; Netflix offers subtitles and dubs (varies by region) |
What is High Tides on Netflix about?
High Tides follows a wealthy friend group (and their parents) spending summers in the Belgian coastal resort town of Knokke. From the outside it’s beach clubs, designer wardrobes, and effortless privilege. On the inside it’s insecurity, obsession, manipulation, and the kind of “I’m fine” energy that is very much not fine.
The core hook is how quickly the show flips from “vacation vibes” to “everyone is lying to everyone.” Relationships are messy, alliances are temporary, and the adults can be just as ruthless as the kids.
Why High Tides gets compared to Elite (and why it still feels different)
A lot of viewers naturally put High Tides in the same mental folder as shows like Élite: beautiful people, expensive environments, and social chaos. That comparison makes sense—especially because the series is built around class pressure, image control, and volatile relationships.
Where it feels different is the coastal mood and the way the show leans into an “everyone’s a little broken” atmosphere. It’s less about solving one clean mystery and more about watching a pressure cooker of privilege crack open.
High Tides release timeline (so you’re not confused in 2025)
If you’re reading this in 2025, you’ll mainly be choosing between Season 1 and Season 2. If you’re reading later, here’s the bigger picture:
- Season 1 became available globally on Netflix as High Tides on December 7, 2023.
- Season 2 rolled out with regional timing differences, and was added on Netflix in many markets in early 2025.
- Season 3 is the final season and arrived on April 3, 2026 in most regions (Belgium had different timing).
What High Tides does really well
1) The setting is basically a character
Knokke isn’t just scenery—it’s part of the story’s engine. The beach-club shine and “old money rules” create a constant pressure to perform. That pressure is what makes tiny jealousies explode into full-blown disasters.
2) It understands how privilege can be a trap
The show’s best moments come from watching characters who “have everything” still act desperate—desperate for validation, control, love, status, or a clean exit from the expectations they were born into.
3) The pacing is binge-friendly
Episodes move quickly and the series loves an end-of-episode push that practically dares you to stop watching. Even when you’re annoyed at everyone, you still want to see what happens next.
What might not work for you
- Unlikable behavior is the point. If you need someone to root for at all times, this can feel exhausting.
- Soapiness over subtlety. The show often chooses maximum drama instead of quiet realism.
- Secondhand embarrassment. Characters make choices that are… bold. Not always smart. Often catastrophic.
The soundtrack is doing a lot of heavy lifting
One underrated reason High Tides works: the music sells the emotional whiplash. Scenes that could feel over-the-top land better when the soundtrack pulls you into the characters’ inner panic, longing, or dissociation.
What Reddit Theories Say About this (and why people keep binging anyway)
Reddit threads about High Tides tend to split into two camps: people who love the chaos, and people who hate-watch because the characters are infuriating—but still can’t look away. That’s usually a sign the show is doing its job: building a social pressure cooker where every conversation feels like it has hidden teeth.
High tides
High Tides - 3 Seasons - Terrible but you keep watching
Who should watch High Tides in 2025?
You’ll probably enjoy it if you like:
- teen/young-adult dramas where the parents are just as dangerous
- luxury settings with a “rotting from the inside” feel
- love triangles that are more stressful than romantic
- shows that escalate fast and don’t apologize for being messy
You should avoid it if you want:
- a comfort show
- characters who consistently behave like adults
- a clean, puzzle-box mystery structure
Related content you can watch next (if High Tides hits the spot)
- Élite (Netflix) — if you want an even sharper, more scandal-driven rich-kid pressure cooker.
- Outer Banks (Netflix) — if you want coastal vibes with youthful obsession and fast pacing.
- Class (Netflix) — if you want class conflict and teen drama with a darker edge.
- Rough Diamonds or Undercover (Netflix) — if you want Belgian/Low Countries energy but more adult crime stakes.
FAQ
Is High Tides the same show as Knokke Off?
Yes. Knokke Off is the original title, and Netflix released it internationally as High Tides.
Is High Tides appropriate for teens?
It’s generally positioned for mature audiences, and it includes heavy themes (sex, substance use, and intense bullying/relationship toxicity). If you’re deciding for a younger viewer, it’s the kind of show you’d want to vet first.
Is it worth starting in 2025 if you haven’t seen it yet?
If you enjoy dramatic, stylish, bingeable chaos: yes. Season 1 sets the tone quickly, and by the time you finish it, you’ll know whether you’re in for the ride or you want out.