- Joined
- Aug 12, 2012
- Messages
- 1,392
I just finished watching the show "River" on Netflix.
It's only 6 episodes. But it is fantastic.
It may be one of the best shows I've ever seen at actually getting into the mental makeup of its protagonist. This show digs deep in a very effective way. River is a detective who is investigating his partner's homicide. But River has demons to chase away, to look through the fog that makes solving this crime so difficult. He sees dead people. Well--not really. They are in his head. Notably, his partner who he happened to be in love with and who he watched gunned down on a street by someone in a car--someone she probably knew.
But there are others--others related to the case and his worst demon Dr. Thomas Cream--a serial killer from the 1800s. Now these are not REAL ghosts--they are simply manifestations of his mind. When he has conversations it is essentially with himself. He is confronting his own horrifying thoughts.
He is a man with many regrets and not much joy in his life. His reflections are on a life of missed opportunity.
Stellen Skarsgaard is absolutely tremendous as River. It may be one of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen. It certainly would make my top 5.
The mystery of his partner's death is somewhat complex but you'll get it even if you miss parts of it and frankly--that's not what is so important and great about the show. This is first and foremost a character study of a haunted man.
All of the actors are first rate--it's beautfully filmed and written with some outstanding, memorable quotes.
I'll post the trailer but it doesn't do the show justice. There's so much going on here and a lot of food for thought. Very enjoyable. Highly recommended.
It's only 6 episodes. But it is fantastic.
It may be one of the best shows I've ever seen at actually getting into the mental makeup of its protagonist. This show digs deep in a very effective way. River is a detective who is investigating his partner's homicide. But River has demons to chase away, to look through the fog that makes solving this crime so difficult. He sees dead people. Well--not really. They are in his head. Notably, his partner who he happened to be in love with and who he watched gunned down on a street by someone in a car--someone she probably knew.
But there are others--others related to the case and his worst demon Dr. Thomas Cream--a serial killer from the 1800s. Now these are not REAL ghosts--they are simply manifestations of his mind. When he has conversations it is essentially with himself. He is confronting his own horrifying thoughts.
He is a man with many regrets and not much joy in his life. His reflections are on a life of missed opportunity.
Stellen Skarsgaard is absolutely tremendous as River. It may be one of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen. It certainly would make my top 5.
The mystery of his partner's death is somewhat complex but you'll get it even if you miss parts of it and frankly--that's not what is so important and great about the show. This is first and foremost a character study of a haunted man.
All of the actors are first rate--it's beautfully filmed and written with some outstanding, memorable quotes.
I'll post the trailer but it doesn't do the show justice. There's so much going on here and a lot of food for thought. Very enjoyable. Highly recommended.
