Dark Season One and Two

Details: MPAA Rating: MA

Release Date: December 1, 2017

Cast: Louis Hoffman, Maja Schöne, Lisa Vicari, Oliver Masucci

Pros: Netflix's first German original was pitched as a show revolving around a small German town with secrets spanning generations. While that may not sound like a lot, the story is far more intricate and complex than it sounds. If you're going to talk about Dark, you have to talk about the plot. This show is a mix of some of the most unique genres in the entertainment industry. Time Travel, Mystery, Family, Coming-of-age, Thriller, all mixed into one of the best shows of all time. There is not a single plot point that doesn't get addressed. Every character in this show has a superb arc that comes around full circle. Most shows can barely deal with one character. Meanwhile, Dark displays almost 70 characters magnificently. The show does get extremely confusing which is why it requires the viewer's undivided attention, but once you give the attention the show deserves, you will be pleasantly surprised. The actual actors and actresses are excellent. There isn't necessarily one character that stands out to me just because everybody is superb. The soundtrack, cinematography, and VFX all work together with poise and equilibrium to build a feeling of tension and dread that stays with the viewer throughout the seasons. Baron Bo Odar, the director of the show, does a great job taking hundreds of plot points and weaving them into a story that will blow people's minds.

Cons: If I had to gripe about one thing it would be regarding Season One. The first three episodes start off a little bit slow. The pacing doesn't hook the viewer right away but once it picks up it really becomes a roller coaster. As I mentioned a little bit in the pros category, the story gets extremely convoluted and it may take people out of the experience as you will be extremely tempted to look things up many many times. I strongly recommend you don't.

Star Rating: 10/10

Final Thoughts: Dark is a cinematic masterpiece that deserves to be shared with everybody. There is not a single aspect of this show that is poor. For those who decide to watch it, I recommend not knowing anything about it and not looking anything up. I also recommend watching it in its original German audio with English subtitles. I have also linked a website below that has a timeline for each season that is very helpful but don't look ahead of the season you are on because you will be very confused.

https://taylorholmes.com/2020/07/07/the-definitive-netflix-dark-season-3-family-tree/