Joyce Chan-Barretta

I watched half of it, but I had to turn it off. Benedict’s seething rage was too oppressive. I am not good with humiliation and shame themes, and (at least the first half) was drenched with it. I will probably finish watching it another day. It’s worth finishing. It’s a masterfully made film, with heart wrenching performances and beautifully shot. I’m going to look up other films directed by Jane Campion.

The cinematography, location and tone of the show is gritty and somber. As one other review said, it reminds you of "True Detective". But the plot holes and the dumb choices that Kata makes are infuriating. There's a major twist in episode 5, but I don't care because I don't care about these characters. I enjoyed the first episode, but I've cared less and less as the show progressed. The subplots about Kara's son and Arnar's family are intriguing, but they are it's only redeeming quality, plot and character wise. As the story wore on, I kept on thinking "why is Kata such a high ranking detective? She doesn't ask insightful questions, she's not empathetic, and she doesn't have any particular talent for deduction. She's not even tough, even though we're supposed to think she is because she wears black and yells alot." It feels like all the breaks in the case they get are made by dumb luck. I'm on episode 6 out of 8, and I'm so frustrated with the story and Kata's acting (why so hysterical?!) I'm considering stopping here.