CadenCotard

I'm a bit at a loss on where to even begin with this one. If you are a fan of sci-fi, be it in aesthetic or lore, stop what you are doing and watch this show. It is a masterclass in "show, don't tell." The fact that it was not renewed for a season 2 is absolutely bewildering...

Onto purported criticisms: I suppose there are some fair criticisms to be made. The characters are all rather generic and consistently uninteresting. I found the voice acting to be flat at times. I also had minor annoyance with some of the editing which is not normally something I pick apart in reviews (cutting between stories in a jarring way that ruined pacing in my opinion).

On to the neutral: The animation itself is fresh, and manages to blend minimalism and pointed details in a very effective way. Matching the greater narrative elements, it seems that character expression, movements, etc are all on the minimal side. The backgrounds are oozing with little details, and the color scheme is a beautiful sort of otherworldly earthtone.

On to the rest...I could rant and rave about this for ages, but I think for every criticism there is a very valid counterpoint. The gist of it is, that many people who were unsatisfied, were looking for a more sci-fi based world, and while this show *looks* like a sci-fi romp, it's really more akin to fantasy in it's themes, lore, etc. To say there isn't a consistent logic in the universe isn't entirely true; in fact, the shows absolute best quality is its ability to build lore shot by shot, frame by frame, frequently in the background of a scene. It's like an anthropological study of a fantasy world with a sci fi sheen.

So while I would agree with some criticism that the world is a little 'out there,' I would also disagree that there is no consistent narrative or set of in universe rules. In short, no, do not turn your brain off; this is the most creative show centered around exploration of the truly alien and unknown...in ages (I'm going to get a little crazy here and invite chaos by saying *perhaps* ever, because I honestly can't think of anything that's been as in depth an exploration of a *truly* alien concept). Because it excels in exploring a truly alien world, there will be some elements many will find indecipherable (and so, they may be, but that's kind of the point). Pay attention. File this under fantasy in your brain so you you don't become too focused on picking holes in the story. Focus on the world building because the characters aren't great and honestly you don't want to hear their stories, you're just going to want to experience more of the unknown that surrounds them.

Contrary to some other reviewers, I did feel like despite this being a slow burn, it had fairly good pacing and tension throughout. The set and settings are to be praised here, Damian McCarthy has a real way with creating artful and unsettling imagery. For example, even though I'm not a die hard fan or particularly familiar with his work, I was able to pick out a prop from his last movie. This just goes to show, there's some real talent there in terms of world building. CGI is used sparingly, and overall there's a distinctly British subdued modern gothic vibe that I think works well.

Whats frustrating is that the plot itself fails the "and-then" test. In other words Characters do things to drive the plot forward; the plot is driven externally, for the sake of advancement, and it shows. While I am one to nit-pick plot details, it's not my first prerogative when watching a movie, and I try to give every film the benefit of the doubt by suspending disbelief. That being said, there are a lot of actions that don't really make sense and, if they hadn't occurred, the story wouldn't have progressed . I will often overlook certain glaring 'plot holes'...the kind that only become apparent with rumination or dissection of the plot afterward. When I do that here, I could see that despite being a bit nonsensical there is a potentially nice flick here. I can't bring myself to grant it much appreciation on account of the deeper plot issues. The lack of character logic makes the contrivance glaring which kills the engagement for me.

So the tale is generic and predictable, but its not mass produced slog. There is some soul and artistry here diminished greatly by larger issues with the writing. I'm a harsh critic so overall, I'd say it's still worth your time as an 'ambiance' piece. I will be paying attention to this director more in the future though, there are some good foundations and all that's needed is better writing. Even if the plots remain a little unpolished or unpractical, all that's missing is character development and and less contrivance. Clean that up and there would be a cult classic.