The Clearing

I found this series to be gripping, intriguing and definitely kept my attention so much so that I binge the whole series on one sitting couldn't stop watching. I'm a massive true crime/cults nerd which made this all the more interesting given that it is losely based on the really Australian Cult 'The Family'.

I thought the series was very well cast.

The story line was well written.

My only issue hence not a 10/10 is the time jumps, they are not dated or anything apart from one time. So at first it takes a while to figure out what is going on, especially at the beginning. If it wasn't for this would have been full marks.

I've never even used the word superb before but it's just so fitting here! The acting was incredible, especially by the girl playing young Amy, Theresa Palmer and the actor playing Saad.

The fact that this is based on a real cult is what got me to watch it, as I've read a lot about that cult over the years. It shocks me to no end that that woman was never brought to justice, but anyway back to the show...yes it was a slow burn but it was still gripping and entertaining enough for me to keep watching. I watched it over 2 days. If you don't like slow dramas then don't watch this. If you're ok with setting the scene, slow paced mysteries then this is for you. Some twists and turns and enough different from the 'true' story to create suspense.

Being familiar with the subject The Clearing is loosely based on, I found this to be a captivating series. The slow pace adds to the suspense and each episode reveals more about the characters and how they got there and how they fit into the story. The acting is superb, especially the young actors playing "Amy" and "Sara/Asha". Miranda Otto is sublime as "Matreiya" and perfectly captures the quiet insanity and unhinged mental state of the mother figure. The supporting cast are equally unhinged, including Freya, Joe, Tamsyn, Hannah, Bryce and Henrik. It is a story of how the sin of one becomes the sin of all.

I question the wisdom of watching this when I'm about to have a baby, but if there's one thing I can't resist it's a creepy cult thriller. It was unnerving to watch the events of this story unfold, particularly without having read the book beforehand. Given that the tale is based on real life Aussie cult group The Family, there's already a sense of foreboding as you start the first episode. This sense increases going into the second episode, and you can't help but feel concerned at what might happen next. Theresa Palmer does an excellent job of showcasing the past and present trauma of her character, and Miranda Otto and Guy Pearce play equally disturbed characters. But the true heroes of this series are Julia Savage and Lily LaTorre, who sent chills down my spine with their respective performances. With an 8 episode first season, I suspect The Clearing is only going to ramp up with each episode. Fans of this genre should give this show a watch, it's cast well, has an ominous soundtrack, perturbing visual effects and I'm already itching to see where the story takes us and what secrets it will reveal along the way.

-by Jayne @WatchItWombat.

I just watched the 6 episode and I'm question myself why I keep watching this series.

The first episode were intriguing and i was curious what happend but my questions were answered a few episodes later. After this no new curiosity sparked, no new mystery to solve and the back and forth between -- now three -- timelines really bore me with details i'm not interested in and the flow is lost everytime they make a timejump.

The characters are also really boring specially the main character who is really unlikable.

There are many shows which are slow but they keep sparking interest but this series fails hard in that regard. The timejumps on top of this just destroy the series. Nothing meaningful is happening.

I can just give this series 4 stars. I would give Yellowjackets 6-7 and one can compare them. Both play in multiple timelines and include the 'cult' theme.

If the purpose of the series is to show the trauma after such events than I would compare it with Rectify which I would rate 8-9.

The best series which included time jumps the best is Damages.

There are other slow and low budget series like The killing or even Top of The Lake which are thousand times better then this one.

I'm happy for You if you enjoy this one. Be reminded that there are many better series out there.