Into the Night

Great thriller that keeps you on the edge for three and a bit hours. Acting is good but what makes this series intersting is the diversity of its characters and the nuances of their attitudes in the face of crises and tragedy. Morals are given a swirl, whirl and a whirlpool to change colours according to necessities fpr when lives are at risk, crimes have no consequence.

Into the night is the first Belgian series from Netflix and this is more than a decent attempt. The concept is novel (though it is inspired by a science fiction novel) and it kept me on binge mode instead of all the illogical liberties, predictable plot points, and lack of a consistent central core character or a driving force for me to stick on with their journey.

The reason for the series to work lies in the character detailing (however flawed they are, they appear believable) and supreme performances by the ensemble cast. The other aspect that probably worked is the premise, it was realistic There are many scenes that made me empathize with the characters, and made me curious as to how these characters will come out of the conflict they are facing together.

Every episode starts with detailing of any given character, and this approach may confuse the perspective for an audience to chose. Eventually, I got used to the pattern and the constant shift of control to all these characters equally at predictable intervals. The series is not heavy on science, a little disappointed though, hope it will delve more on it in the upcoming season.

From making perspective, it is difficult to plot the entire conflict in one location (aircraft), and the makers have done a commendable job in retaining the interest without attempting to risk a different/novel treatment. The climax (last episode) looked hurried, it felt the makers had a time-bound pressure to complete the season. Having said that, the climax definitely hooked me for the next season.

Into the night - A series you can definitely try!

Are there plot holes, yes. Can a helicopter pilot fly a commercial airline, no. Can a home health care aide perform surgery, of course not. Is it enjoyable to watch and am I engaged and care about the characters? Yes. This is not for the "Must be 100% accurate, or it's trash"! critics viewing from Mom's basement. Suspend your disbelief and just enjoy a nice Friday/Saturday night on the couch movie. The episodes fly by because I'm entertained (and they're short- 38 minutes-ish) and I have no desire to multi-task with a phone game or whatnot.

Full disclosure, I watched in French because I can speak French (it's not entirely in French though) and subtitles don't bother me. I don't know how the English dub sounds, but that always destroys a movie for me when the audio isn't matching the actor's lips. Plus, the dubbed script never quite matches the real nuances of what's really being said.

I swear these characters' mindsets radiate the same energy as Rise of the planet of the apes. They're like children you just can't like any of them I would kill myself if i was on that plane apocalypse is much better. Could've been 10/10.

It's not perfect by any stretch but the short 6 episode season combined with 30-40 min runtimes will more than effectively take up an afternoon without making you feel like you've wasted your time. The pace is good and fast which tells the story which is interesting enough to to keep you drawn in. The acting is good and well cast and there's just enough character development to get you interested enough in them to care about them. You will have to ignore some plot holes, small inconsistencies and scientific accuracy, but hey, it's a sci fi show after all, right?

*edit season 2 has lost much of the steam that season 1 built up on. It's still watchable but I can't pretend to not be disappointed - I'm really not sure where they're going with this and season 3 will have its work cut out..