352. Web-series Reviews – 170

More web-series reviews…

A Nearly Normal Family – Came out in 2023. Swedish series. The Sandell family is a normal family consisting of the priest Adam, the lawyer Ulrika and their 19-year-old daughter Stella. They live a seemingly perfect life in a polished residential suburb outside of Lund. One day, everything changes when Stella ends up in custody, accused of murder. Her devastated parents don't know what to do. What has happened? They want to help Stella at any cost, but do they really know their daughter? Or each other?

A review from IMDB...

Very psychological and strong. A lot of tension and suspense! In a few minutes many things happen, so some episodes are unnecessarily prolonged, but didn't bother me.

The series is more from the family's point of view in my opinion, because the parts of judicial system here are not realistic. I have seen many Scandinavian series and in this one some forms and the rights of the suspect seemed totally unimaginable to me, like not letting Stella talk to her parents, and without sufficient evidence having her in isolation like that. There is another thing that does not seem well done to me and that is the rol of Stella, she looks the same after 4 years, from 15 to 19 years old there is a considerable change, she hasn't grown, physically or mentally. If this had been more realistic I would have given it a 9!

Well, that's my criticism, although the truth is that I loved the series, very exciting.

The actors are all very good, the story is quite realistic, tense and terrifying. What a family! This story is not at all common, very original and well edited. The impulsive daughter, too much in my opinion, was already damaged in a dysfunctional family from the beginning of the story. What happens after 4 years only makes the situation worse.

The mother is pathetic, lies and more lies just to protect her daughter, and nothing is proven at the beginning!

A very distant family, keeping up appearances. Here is a very clear message and it will surely leave its mark on many families, see it and judge for yourself. I really like that they give good attention to this issue, be careful who you interact with and who you trust, and don't leave your drink unattended, it's real life.

I liked the last episode because of how unexpected it seemed to me, until the very end you don't know how, when and where, very nicely done! We have to defend ourselves from animals! By the way a trial doesn't work like that, but you may have already realized.

The series should be watched in the original version with subtitles, and I also really like to listen to Swedish.

I recommend it! An exciting story, modern and with an important and realistic theme and message.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

Dadur Kirti – Came out in 2024.  Bengali series.  In the chronicles of 'Chowdhury Bari', a clever grandfather orchestrates his own demise, uniting his diverse family in a comical yet touching saga of self-discovery and treasure hunting in Shantiniketan.

A review from leisurebyte.com...

When the patriarch of the Choudhury family decides to fake an illness to get his scattered family together at their mansion-like home he dangles an old treasure hunt to reel them back to the family. However, what starts off as sceptical improbability soon turns into a serious race to the top. However, will the family find real treasure in the midst of all of this mess?

Bengali family dramas are always fun to watch because they are relatable in more ways than one. A dysfunctional family with skeletons in their closet, thus, makes for an entertaining watch but one that is not without its flaws.

There are several members in the Choudhury family and everyone has a different story to tell – the series puts forth everyone’s story in front of the viewers, with a clear goal from the first episode that the main motive is reconciliation. From episode 1, the storyline is put forth in such a way that you know exactly where this is going and the creators have made the conflicts in such a way that we start to rush towards that reconciliation ending after the first few episodes.

With such a big cast of talented actors, adding stories for all of them feels like a gigantic affair. With only 6 20-minute episodes to tell that gigantic tale, it obviously feels forced and without depth. Plus, the conflicts aren’t just petty fights among 4 adults – they are important, complicated stories that need a good amount of time to breathe. With such a short runtime, all of these stories, thus, feel half-baked and somewhat unnecessary as well because we aren’t able to see any of them find a conclusion in an organic way.

Moreover, Dadur Kirti ends up feeling like a sum of these short, half-baked stories strung together oddly with different things happening randomly without much rhyme or reason. And I get it, a seemingly happy family from the outside can have many secrets hidden behind the scenes. But the problems showcased in this series require care and attention; you can’t just brush these traumatic events under the carpet with one tearful hug! The convenient conclusions are unsatisfying and best and take away from the nifty treasure hunt and the humour in that storyline.

Speaking of the treasure hunt – we could’ve done away with that as well. Considering the massive issues that all of these people seem to face, it feels like an afterthought and another unnecessary plot point that everyone seems to forget. The treasure hunt pops up here and there and after a while, viewers will find themselves getting annoyed whenever it comes on screen because the tone in those moments clashes with the other serious moments. Most of the time I was confused about what I was expected to feel – should I laugh at Paran Bandopadhyay’s silly antics or be alarmed by domestic violence? Because both of these things happen one right after another, leaving us confused.

Unsurprisingly, and following the path of every other Hoichoi series nowadays, this ends on a cliffhanger that no one wanted or needed. After rushing for 6 episodes, we don’t stop to show the conclusion that we have been teased with since episode 1 and the series cuts off suddenly with no thoughts spent for the viewer’s sanity, leaving us even more annoyed than before. It’s like watching a therapy session, being privy to a person’s issues and being burdened with them and then not knowing whether or not the person got better or not. That’s great.

This odd series is an amalgamation of a lot of feelings and maybe that’s why it isn’t able to make us feel something. It’s not funny neither is it thrilling. It’s a little melodramatic but quite confusing nonetheless because the overarching story has no conclusion, the smaller stories are conveniently forgiven and forgotten and we just sit there being burdened with those heavy thoughts without knowing the point of it all. Thank god for Paran Bandopadhyay and his cute presence – the actor always finds a way to win our hearts.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer – Came out in 2024.  In 2012, a mysterious series of murders strikes fear and dread in Berlin. The victims, seemingly chosen at random, are drugged with an unfamiliar substance - a trail that confronts investigators with a dilemma. As news of the gruesome murders hits the headlines across Germany and further cases emerge that may be linked to previous murders, the pressure mounts on the investigators to solve the case. The 3x40' series Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer, developed by Brothers Beetz, tells a true-crime case for a young audience based on a concrete story related to Berlin's nightlife.

A review from IMDB...

The general story of the case in Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer is quite well presented, and makes for a decent watch. Three short episodes you can easily watch as a documentary feature film.

It combines lively recreational images, too many and unnecessary flashy scenes and pounding techno beats with interviews with law enforcement and victims' families to provide a look into Germany's gay society in 2012.

This season focuses on a serial killer who targeted gay men in Berlin. Fortunately, one victim survives the drugging and can testify and help the police.

I though police detectives were ignoring certain evidence and making hasty and questionable conclusions.

What I don't understand is the way some family and friends tell the story, in a cold way and as if you were talking about a birthday party, maybe it's the sobriety of the Germans.

Some details are mentioned in passing, for example I'm thinking about the serial killer himself, who gets the usual "He was such a nice man" description.

We do hear details about him not really wanting to be in Berlin, yet moving there for a partner. And then we never hear more about this partner again, which was strange to me.

Well, I have a a mixture of feelings in my head, it is a captivating story and at the same time a little confusing and somewhat monotonous.

The best part for me is the testimonials from the killer with provides a degree of shock, but in general the documentary falls short to maintain a truly engaging viewing.

But still it's worth a watch!

My Take – Worth a watch! 

Cheers till next time😊!