The Clearing

It is obvious where this story has been taken from in recent Aussie history and it throws down a real challenge when bringing it to a streaming series, but in the steady hands of Grace Otto it becomes compelling viewing.

There is a stellar cast involved but it must be said that if this was a standalone movie, Miranda Otto as Adrienne Beaufort, gives an Oscar worthy performance and seems to inhabit her character as it evolves with each episode. Teresa Palmer is exceptional as the now grown Amy and her character embodies all that you would expect from someone who had been raised in such a cult until the age of thirteen and still maintain such an odd connection with its' leader as an adult. Julia Savage as the young Amy is mesmerizing and someone to watch as is Lily LaTrobe playing Asha.

For me, Guy Pearce is not stretched particularly in his role but Kate Mulvany is a powerhouse in her character whilst Anna Lise Phillips and Erroll Shand both reveal the behaviour that is so commonly observed in people caught under the spell of a cult leader.

I was initially hesitant to watch this when it was first advertised as the thought of watching, however potentially fictitious, a variation of what had been revealed on investigative programmes years ago was not all that appealing, but it deals with a subject that we should be made aware of and is exceptional viewing.

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'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.

Just an absolutely phenomenal job from the cast, especially Teresa Palmer and Miranda Otto. Otto is especially chilling in her portrayal of her character at every level of the character's development. She's a marvelous actress who deserves more acclaim. Palmer also shines in a difficult role as a person who has been extremely damaged from her youth in the Kindred cult. Guy Pearce (superb in everything he does) does a great job in a secondary role that is key to the story. Only downside for me is that the story unfolds in multiple timelines and it can be difficult to detect when the timelines change Multiple themes are at play throughout the story and most of them come through without being heavy-handed.

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.