Hausen

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.

Purposefully slow and gritty, this show made me want to get a shower after every episode. A weird fantasy horror show, Hausen has more questions than answers so don't expect things to be tied up in a pretty ribbon for you, ever.

No telegraphing stories here straight into your brain. You need to watch it to follow. Given the limited dialogue and that fact that it's in German (English subtitles) - i found it very engaging. I simply loved it!

It's super decompressed

There's enough plot here for about 2 hours

Across 9 it feels too meandering and has a lot of inconsequential content.

I don't really have 8 hours to give to something like this just now, which is a shame because there's a lot to like.

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.