Having been to Iceland and travelled around the southern roads where the series is set, I loved the cinematography of this. The "apocalyptic" landscapes and black sands caused by years of volcanic ash are captured very realistically on screen. Iceland is a beautiful country, but it is also harsh and unrelenting. There are many communities that are difficult to get to either because of their remote locations or as a result of volcanic and geothermal activity. As a result, this impacts on the people who live there and gives them a character which is both calm and resilient. Whilst I agree there are things in the series that seem unrealistic (in terms of what we would expect to be normal behaviour), some of the individual reactions to certain events didn't surprise me at all.
In terms of the actual story, I thought it was intriguing and modern portrayal of old folk tales woven into the environment of Katla. Some people have found it slow going and then somewhat rushed to get a resolution at the end, but I thought it worked well. There was a purpose to each of the people coming back.
In saying that, some of the strands worked better than others. I wasn't convinced about the tale relating to the young boy and was somewhat confused by the Grima double. As someone has said, the husband seemed to not notice her even though she was standing just right there. I appreciate it could have been a somewhat exaggerated metaphor that he just didn't see her anymore, but it kind of jarred. In addition, the Russian roulette scenario felt odd and it was left ambiguous as to who survived - it seemed to go against the premise of why the "changelings" (if that's what they were) came back in the first place.
It was noticeable that some characters just seem to vanish - like the two scientists at the glacier station. Just when you thought they were getting to an explanation of what was causing it, they kind of just dropped it and focused on the human element.
Overall though, a good watch with a lot of themes to think about. The effects and photography were stunning - I especially liked the underground shots of the glacier and the interaction with the volcano. Based on the final shots, it will be interesting to see if they make another.
In terms of the actual story, I thought it was intriguing and modern portrayal of old folk tales woven into the environment of Katla. Some people have found it slow going and then somewhat rushed to get a resolution at the end, but I thought it worked well. There was a purpose to each of the people coming back.
In saying that, some of the strands worked better than others. I wasn't convinced about the tale relating to the young boy and was somewhat confused by the Grima double. As someone has said, the husband seemed to not notice her even though she was standing just right there. I appreciate it could have been a somewhat exaggerated metaphor that he just didn't see her anymore, but it kind of jarred. In addition, the Russian roulette scenario felt odd and it was left ambiguous as to who survived - it seemed to go against the premise of why the "changelings" (if that's what they were) came back in the first place.
It was noticeable that some characters just seem to vanish - like the two scientists at the glacier station. Just when you thought they were getting to an explanation of what was causing it, they kind of just dropped it and focused on the human element.
Overall though, a good watch with a lot of themes to think about. The effects and photography were stunning - I especially liked the underground shots of the glacier and the interaction with the volcano. Based on the final shots, it will be interesting to see if they make another.