Quicksand

I very rarely cry over a movie/tv-series but Quicksand managed to captivate me and keep me on edge for the whole 6 episodes.

Acting (especially the lead and the lawyer) are spot on. So is the cinematography and editing. The latter is used to slowly build up a clearer picture of what actually happened in the classroom and run parallel to the story that lead up to it.

As to adress some of the reviews mentioning "plot holes" or "bad acting". DO NOT watch this with a voice over... Also, do not underestimate what PTSD can do to short term memory of an extremely traumatic event. Or how naive a young person can be in the hands of someone manipulative...

This is a must watch!

... I want it to be in Sweden. What an outstanding justice system they have. People (prisoners, defendants, even suspects) are treated with civility and respect. None of this American influence where courtroom and prison life is made as dismal, dangerous and inhumane as possible. And the prisons: cells with nice lighting, comfortable furniture and guards who genuinely want to help their "clients".

Sound like Utopia? Nope, it's Swedish prisons apparently.

Move over, Hollywood; Sweden, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, to name only a few, are putting out shows so far superior to the politically correct junk that seems more preachy than entertaining these days, and still they are not paying attention! But that's just my opinion, and I want to talk about another excellent Netflix offering from Sweden.

Quicksand was nearly perfect in every way. The tale started at the end and ended at the end. In between, a story unfolds that is so full of twists and turns, both in plot line and psychologically, you become lost in it the way the best film making should. I particularly love the Swedish, Finnish shows because they build plots methodically and no matter how frenetic the story line gets, they speak with brevity that makes watching the subtitles easy and after a while, unnoticeable.

I want to shout out to all of the actors, those playing the 17 and 18 year old characters especially. The young lady who played Maja, the protagonist/sympathetic star of the show. Her range of acting is already far superior to many I have recently seen. She was required to run the gamut of emotions throughout this story, few could have accomplished at such a young age. The directing was smashing! I would not change one scene, already lean as it is a six-episode show. Perhaps restraint at keeping it to six episodes is why it was so excellent. Every character, the teenaged boy protagonist, Sebastian, the best friend, Amanda, the immigrant boy with a crush on Maja - the entire cast were simply perfect in their roles. The courtroom scenes were riveting. The party scenes were cringe-worthy. The prison scenes were stark and yet, somehow as the story progressed, it was Maja's time in prison that slowly clarified her understanding of the surrounding horrific events around which this story progresses.

Definitely one of the best on Netflix. Get more like this, Netflix! Other channels are going over to comedies and teenage angst stories that won't appeal to all generations as this one does! Highly recommended!

This swedish show was one of the highlights of the year so far. Not only because of the superb acting and ongoing suspense delivering a high binge factor. I really liked the narration style enlightening the viewer about the initial "occurance" only piece by piece or episode by episode until the whole picture is being revealed in the last seconds of the show. Very good.

This is superb filmmaking at all levels. The pacing was spot on and the story arcs were skillfully executed. The suspense is maintained throughout; the courtroom episodes were terrific. The actors, especially the lead and the lawyer were just great. In fact, all the actors delivered; no weak links. A must see for fans of drama. The sub-titles didn't bother me at all.