‘1899’: The absorbing new series from the creators of ‘Dark’ is a disturbing sci-fi mystery for Netflix

One of the series of Netflix most talked about in recent years is ‘dark’, being usual that it is even highlighted positively by those who are more critical of this streaming platform. After its completion in 2020, it was quickly announced that its creators were already working on ‘1899’a new sci-fi horror thriller coming out next November 17.

Set on a ship where a heterogeneous group of immigrants travel to the United States in the hope of starting a better life, ‘1899’ explores the multitude of complications that arise when they find another ship from the same company that had disappeared months before without a trace . A premise that quickly hooks the viewer thanks to its successful mix of tension and mysteries.

Lots of good puzzles

The first season of ‘1899’ consists of 8 episodes and so far I have had the opportunity to see the first 3. In them it quickly becomes clear that behind everything is the duo formed by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friesea couple in real life and whose professional relationship dates back to 2010, the year of the premiere of ‘silence of ice’first feature film directed by Odar.

By this I mean first of all a careful rarefied atmosphere that is at all times at the service of history. This is possible thanks both to an effective setting work on board the ship and to another series of factors, from the use of music and sound effects to everything that happens outside the ship. In this way, ‘1899’ becomes an experience with clear points in common with ‘Dark’, with the peculiarity that here it is easier to follow what happenspartly because of its commitment to an international cast.

I will always recommend watching any series in the original version, but in this case it is especially essential, since throughout ‘1899’ different languages ​​are spoken and there are specific scenes in which that fact is vital so that everything fits according to the interests of its viewers. creators. And it is that there are situations that will lose all their meaning with dubbing.

In addition, that eclectic cast also serves so that each of the small stories that it raises separately have a greater entity of their own. Over there, Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese seem to want to give a more emotional dimension to the series, an aspect in which they do not finish hitting the target, since everything arouses more interest in what they hide and how that is linked to their motivations. than for its dramatic depth. Perhaps hence also that everything the cast complies with solvency but there is no one who shines with special intensitybeing Andreas Pietschman who stands out the most giving life to the captain of the ship.

Other details of ‘1899’

That said, one of the great successes of the series is that it manages to balance the need for a great central thread associated with what the hell happened on the other ship and how all that affects the group of immigrants with more personal subplots that allow certain cast members find their voice within ‘1899’. Also, These stories complement each other. having worked enough so that they have their space instead of being designed to add more puzzles.

And it is possible that they have not yet clarified anything, but It is appreciated that they do not make the mistake of dilating it excessively and that chapter by chapter there is a sense of progression necessary so that it never conveys the feeling of being an empty mystery -what does remain is the question of whether they will know how to rise to the occasion when it comes to giving answers-. It is true that enough importance is given to the end of the episode to create the need for the viewer to continue, but without falling into the mistake that, for example, I made ‘Katla’ of using them as tricks that then rarely led to anything up to what they seemed to promise.

What I have missed a little is all that was said at the time that ‘1899’ was a series of terror, something whose presence is almost non-existent to date. It is true that certain seeds are planted that could give a lot of play in this way, although for the moment it has not gone beyond everything being most disturbing. The curious thing is that the touch of science fiction is not exploited to the full either, but it is always present from the encounter with the other ship.

In short

The first contact with ‘1899’ has been quite positive, since it engages with its mystery, it plays well the card that some passengers have powerful secrets and has an absorbing work of setting. In addition, its only noteworthy drawback, which is that the characters dramatically do not have all the desirable punch, is something that can be improved as everything continues to evolve, since the end of the third episode points to a greater importance of the human dimension. You can count on me to be there to find out.

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