Looking back at the past two months, it appears Netflix may have found their niche in drearier, more obscure modes of binge-worthy entertainment. Following the instantaneous success brought by the debut season of “Mindhunter” and the masterful season two of “Stranger Things,” the streaming gargantuan is back at it again with their most morose and twisted series to date. Welcome to the understatedly pensive realm that is “Dark.”
Set in the scenic, small, always overcast German town of Winden, this thriller begins with a nightmarish dream sequence and a young Erik Obendorf (Paul Radom) having gone missing. With the townspeople put at unease with Erik’s apparent abduction, audiences are quickly submerged in an abnormal mystery. While the sleepy town might not know the whereabouts of Erik, audiences soon find out with scarce details to sift through.
As the plot of Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese’s crime thriller quickly proves far more complex than can be explained, viewers will encounter a family narrative with traumatic twists, turns and time travel (the show opens with the following quote by Albert Einstein: “The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion”). It’s a story best worth unpacking spoiler-free, though we’ll offer that it orbits around Jonas (Louis Hofmann), who is recovering from the trauma of his father’s suicide, and becomes part of a growing web of connections that unfold when another young boy, Mikkel (Daan Lennard Liebrenz), goes missing. Along the way, this unnerving drama unveils itself as a supernatural mystery — one that eventually fulfills its slow burn investment.
With that being said, many have already lauded Dark as the “German Stranger Things.” Now, while there may be a morsel of truth within this sentiment (quiet small town, vanishing kids, suspicious government activity, flickering lights), they diverge in tone and atmosphere almost entirely.
In “Stranger Things,” there exists a sense of youthful wonder. But with “Dark,” the show’s youth is completely stripped of their childhood and innocence. For this reason, audiences are presented with ten episodes that understatedly lives up to its title.
Although this kaleidoscopic German thriller may come off as familiar one the surface, “Dark” is its own complex beast, as what’s described in reviews only grazes its insane essence. By crossing the show’s familiar threshold into an ominous realm of surreal science fiction, viewers will find it increasingly hard to level their minds with the show’s philosophy and intricate scientific complexity — thus, making “Dark” a hard sell.
With this being the show’s lone flaw, “Dark” is undoubtedly one of Netflix’s boldest releases, especially as it defies easy categorization, and isn’t constructed for mass viewership. Its gloomy and twisted tone may confuse the average viewer, yet will appeal to those who routinely embrace the value of bizarre and atmospheric thrills and chills.
Even with its unnerving aura, the dreary “Dark” is not reliant on jump scares, gore, nor flashing images of ultraviolence. Instead, Odar reveals the show’s horror like a root canal without anesthetic — through gruelling, burning agony. It makes its presence felt through the horror viewers are not shown, through the myriad of lingering shots of caverns and sinister forest scenery.
All told, “Dark” is a perplexing yet satisfying endeavor by Netflix, considering its gruelling pace and inability to really grab hold of viewers’ attention beyond its beautiful, sweeping shots of German forestry.
With season one now in the books, viewers who bite will be treated to a binge-worthy delight — one that need not be compared to anything of similar-premises. It’s a show of tantalizing allure that will keep expectations at bay — thus, coaxing impatient viewers to focus on what he or she is witnessing rather than constantly seeking nostalgic gratification and an adrenaline-pumping pace. Once an effort is made to embrace this twisted realm of “Dark,” pausing will be an afterthought.
If you are a fan of the trendy, revivalist ‘80s-infused science fiction made popular by “Stranger Things,” then you might want to consider “Dark.” But if you enjoyed the darker, more brooding aspects of the aforementioned TV hit, then “Dark” is a mandated viewing. [B]