Twisty Teutonic Time-Travel Tale is a Treat
Mysterious disappearances. Obsessions. Secrets. Time travel. Such are the essential elements of DARK , the Netflix Originals Series sci-fi/supernatural mashup set in a small town in the middle of the heavily-forested German countryside. Although there will be the inevitable comparisons between it and STRANGER THINGS , the fact that both shows feature several adolescent characters, take place (at least, partly) in the mid-1980s, and involve strange phenomena is the extent of the similarities. STRANGER —with its cast of imminently-likable characters (juvenile an d adult) and coulda-been-shot-in-the-early-‘80s filmmaking style—seems like a lighthearted, feel-good romp when compared with DARK , which never once delivers any warm fuzzies. DARK is, as the name implies, just the opposite: a brooding, tense, atmospheric drama, with nary a moment of levity. The forest is vast, dense, and all-encompassing. The rain—which seems to pour every day—isn’t just a polit...