As this Vietnamese series opens an elderly fisherman finds a body floating in lake. The action then moves back a few days and we see a businessman, Luu; his fiancée, Vy, and her son driving to the titular Scarlet Hill, presumably named for the brilliant red flowers that cover much of it. We soon learn that Vy is somewhat troubled by hallucinations. Once there we are introduced to the other key figures, these include the woman who owns the land, a shaman and couple who pick medicinal herbs in the woods, a man with a mental handicap and a young woman... among these is the person who will be revealed as the body from the opening scene. Things turn more mysterious when Vy walks through the woods and finds an abandoned mansion. This had been home to a wealthy family and there are rumours that their wealth is buried nearby. After the death the police start to investigate and soon suspect Vy. Before the series is over many secrets will be revealed; concerning events in the present and the past.
I found this series to be enjoyably despite its slow pace. A sense of mystery is created in the opening scene and while some questions are answered as the series progresses more are raised; notably concerning events in the mansion before it was abandoned. The cast does a fine job and the setting is a feast for the eyes. There aren't a particularly large group of characters which means one gets to know all key people fairly well and form opinions about them before the truths are revealed. As the eighth and final episode ends all plot threads are nicely wrapped up so viewers won't be left wondering if they'll need to tune in again next year. Overall I'd recommend this to anybody looking for something a little different and don't mind a slow pace.
These comments are based on watching the series in Vietnamese with English subtitles.
