Hausen

Don't be fooled by the jump-cut fast paced trailer. This horror series is not a dull shocker like the first impression suggests. The series combines well-known elements of horror and mistery and pairs them with a unique aesthetic of the Plattenbau, that looks like it fell out of time. Some inspirations from Stranger Things, The Shining or even from some elements of Fargo are clearly visible in the pictures and in the storytelling. Eventhough it's rough and dirty, at the same time it looks minimalistic, graphical, peculiar and difficult to catch hold of where this will lead you. There are barely any explanations, but I never felt like I needed any. The black mass coming from the walls paired with a Jóhann Jóhannsson like organ soundscape and a great sound design, lead you through the uncertainty and the prison-like skyskraper.

So this series is perfect for those who are interested in slow-paced mistery and horror, with a peculiar, sometimes depressing feeling, being dragged into the mess of this way of living. But at the end of the tunnel, there will be some light. It's not for you, if you either expect fast-paced action or horror full of violence.

This was such a pleasant surprise after I'd just watched sky's other latest offerings and found them lacking a good story or interesting characters. This had both and the effects were done well and really added to everything. I enjoyed that characters who'd often be throwaway actually were explored and added to. I saw other reviews saying it was too gross but I really don't think it was unless you really aren't a big of goop, and, even then this is a horror series. If you want some intrigue that's much more original than a lot of tv these days, give Hausen a go and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Gradually drawing in me, takes a lot of concentration bcos of the subtitles, but worth it.

Hausen is a typical German production. Overambitious Arthouse Film. Here as a series divided into eight parts. The main actor plays well. The rest is mediocrity. Borrowing from Space Odyssey 2001 and Alien amongst others. German history is also touched upon, such as Stasi surveillance and Nazi concentration camps with gas chambers and incinerators. Unfortunately, there is a lot of wear and tear since Torn Curtain from 1966. The conclusion does not bring any resolution. All in all, it looks like a student thesis. The setting was also weak, a former Stasi hospital that looks like a hospital and not a block of flats. 6 points means for me, you can save yourself.

This is gloomy stuff, the atmosphere is so relentless in its grimy aesthetic that you'll feel like you need a really good wash after each episode. The titular housing block itself, along with the evil gooey-goop monster that resides there are presented as a good metaphor for grief, poverty and addiction, all of which are well explored. Light entertainment, this is not.

The trouble is, it's not really entertainment of any sort. The dialogue is sparse, which adds to the general ambience I suppose, but there's not enough here to otherwise keep the viewer engaged.

Hausen is fine as a collection of what are essentially moody horror-lite sketches, but to be honest, there's only about 2 hours-worth of actual stuff here. Stretched out over 8 long episodes, it does become tiresome.

Be warned, there is no pay-off here and you won't be rewarded for your patience come the finale. In fact, the ending isn't really an ending. It's plain wackery, weirdness for its own sake in a similar vein to Space Odyssey. It doesn't invite you to speculate on what it all means, as much as it just gives up on trying to make any sense whatsoever.

It's a shame really. The atmosphere created is unique, the script is decent and well acted, it just never realises its potential. Not something I'd recommend unless you're super stuck for something to watch in the horror genre.