Infiniti

Stunningly shot with excellent performances, but very slow moving and more concerned with being ambiguous and leaving mysteries unresolved than addressing its convoluted plot. There is no satisfying ending to this genre mash-up, and it left me scratching my head in frustration as to what the hell actually happened. Too long with no actual pay off or meaningful explanation for the paradox that drives the first episode. This show gets lost in its bleak setting and smoke filled interiors, assuming that the audience will find these unusual locations compelling enough to not worry about the narrative. Perhaps the meaning we are looking for is that there's literally no meaning, and that's a bummer because there are loads of other shows out there that provide smarter and compelling resolutions to their mysteries. Sadly, this show is beautiful to look at but a complete waste of time that will make you feel cheated and angry.

I don't know whether this was an unusually high budget production for a European series in this genre, or whether the cinematographers and set crew just made strong stylistic choices allowing exceptional work within their resources, but the end result is a seamless cinematic piece of work. At various times scenes reminded me of S. O.2001 in it's sparse beauty, at other times of unusually realistic sci fi, while the terrestial action in Kazakhstan is wide screen panoramic arthouse.

The action unfolds slowly enough to allow the viewer to drink in the atmosphere of the locations and keep dialogue at a natural pace but not so slowly that it becomes art for art's sake. The narrative isn't always spelled out in all caps and if you approach it paying the same low level of attention needed for a lot of TV, you're likely to miss cues. The central conceit of the story might not necessarily be all that groundbreaking or climactic, but the execution is so good that it papers over a few cracks.

Alshinov in particular delivered a charismatic performance here, although to be fair, there's nothing sub par about the entire cast. Hopefully we'll see more of him and the team who made this production.

Great series really. At first I had doubts because at the same time interesting, at the same time slow.

But the pace and the storyline justify watching the whole series. Don't rely on the notes of people who couldn't see it in full.

I love shows that transport you into new realms and artfully mix genres. But this is nothing like any Star Trek episode. With fantastic acting and an obvious big budget, it spins a carefully unraveling mystery that mostly takes place in the wilds of Kazakhstan. The filmmakers should be congratulated for taking a narrative risk and stepping out of the box to create a unique, absorbing series.

Perfect scenario for the ones like me who adores sci-fi and Interstaller. Thank you France for such an incredible movie, thank you Kazakhstan for making it real.