What is impressive about the series "Katla", which was praised by Hideo Kojima

But most of all, the audience discussed the incredibly complex "Darkness" from Germany. The story of the inhabitants of a small town, who travel through time and try to fight fate, captivated viewers around the world. Since then, literally every new European project from Netflix has been compared to her with an intricate fantasy plot and philosophical themes.

But in reality, such analogies can only be drawn with "Katla". And this despite the fact that the Icelandic series is devoted to a completely different topic. He is not talking about predestination, but about trying to correct past mistakes. But it is distinguished by the melancholic atmosphere of a small European city, similar to "Darkness". And at the same time, an almost post-apocalyptic setting, which made Hideo Kojima compare the project with his game Death Stranding.

Games with fate and time

Not far from the Icelandic town of Vik, the Katla volcano erupts. Most of the residents were evacuated, there are only a few families left in the district and specialists are working. Suddenly, a naked girl appears near the volcano, completely covered in ash. As it turns out, she is familiar with one of the inhabitants of Vic. Only they met 20 years ago, and the girl has not changed at all. After that, the dead and missing relatives of the townspeople begin to come to the settlement.

The plot of the series really forces us to compare it with "Darkness": the authors hint at games with time, and the cause of the anomalies is clear - a volcanic eruption. But very soon it will become clear that Katla is talking about something completely different.

First, this show is much simpler. There are only about a dozen heroes here who are remembered literally from the first episode, and there is no puzzling non-linear structure. And secondly, the Icelandic project is more emotional than philosophical.

"Darkness" can be considered the perfect series about the predetermination of fate. "Katla" takes a more obvious idea: literally every person after the loss of a loved one at least once dreamed of returning him. Or he wondered how life would be if he could talk to someone from the past. Otherwise, I would like to see a slightly different version of my wife or sister next to me. And if "Darkness" argued that it is impossible to rewrite fate, then the Icelandic series makes you wonder: is it worth trying to do this?

However, one should not think that "Katla" consists only of drama and reflections. There is a fantastic component here, and mysticism. And the story of the volcanologist and his wife resembles a traditional horror: in this line, even the shooting is slightly different. It is from the combination of different styles that an unhurried but exciting plot is born.

The only problem is a short attempt at explaining what is happening, which looks too far-fetched. Since the authors weren't going to devote enough time to this, it might not have been worth it.

Personal stories and vivid characters

Despite the types and names that are unfamiliar to the Russian audience, all the heroes of Katla very quickly begin to seem familiar and understandable people. And this is one of the main advantages of the series. This approach is not surprising. After all, the creator of the show, Balthasar Kormakur, is a master of dramatic characters.

He managed to work in English-language projects like the series "Everest" or the film "At the mercy of the elements."But in this case it is better to recall the author's picture "The Oath", where the director himself played the main role. This is the dark story of a doctor who is confronted with the world of drug trafficking. The topic, by the way, is amazing for Iceland, where the incredibly low Iceland is recognized as the most peaceful and safest country on the planet / National Geographic Russia has a crime rate. For an hour and a half, the author revealed not only the world of the protagonist, but also the very everyday life of the country.

In Cutla, Vic's orders may seem surprising and even fantastic. But this is very close to the real life of such towns. Anyone can use a free car here, but no one has even heard of serious crimes, so they really don't know how to investigate them.

If we again compare the project with "Darkness", then in the same way it rests not so much on fantastic turns as on human characters and experiences. Unless there is a large concentration of strange injured heroes. Still, it's easy to see familiar characters in the characters. So, the policeman Gisli is caring for a terminally ill wife. Young Grima lives with her husband, but their feelings have cooled down long ago. At the same time, the girl cannot forgive herself for the death of her sister. Darry is having a hard time divorce. Each of the heroes has his own tragedy - very understandable and human.

But to the traditional story of accepting grief and loss, Cormacour adds a question of choice. And here each hero reacts in his own way: some strive for something new, others do not dare to leave the framework of the old life, and someone leaves everything in the hands of higher powers. And when the story is fully revealed, it will already be desirable to compare it not with "Darkness", but with "Solaris". And not book, but on-screen, from Andrei Tarkovsky.

Acquaintance with Iceland and beautiful shooting

For all the unusualness of the northern country, many foreign viewers know only a couple of separate facts and myths about it. Therefore, the authors of the series take as a starting point the most popular theme associated with Iceland - a volcanic eruption. Moreover, the real Katla regularly gets into the news, since its activity is directly related to the famous Eyjafjallajökull. Since 2018, they say that the volcano has woken up. That is, the entourage of the series can become a reality at any moment.

And even if we discard the plot and the fantastic component, "Katla" is worth seeing for the sake of the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, which for the inhabitants of Iceland seems to be harsh everyday life. Masks and respirators in 2021 will not surprise anyone, but the black ash that falls from the sky instead of snow, terrible storms and a general evacuation look frightening.

All this is complemented by aesthetic filming. They cannot be called pretentious, but literally every shot works for the atmosphere. General plans, and sometimes heroes are shown directly from above (this angle is called "the gaze of God"). This allows you to convey the unusual beauty of nature and reminds of the words of one of the characters that people on the planet look very small. And the dual nature of the characters is hinted at by frequent shooting through glass or a mirror.

"Katla", as expected for a dark plot about Iceland, is filmed in pale colors. But the authors work very subtly with the color scheme. It is enough to observe how warm yellow colors are woven into the life of Grima from a certain moment. Or how foreign the pink cape of the newcomer Gunhilda looks like.

And a great addition to the atmosphere is Hogni Egilsson's string music. The stringy sound of the cello will immediately make you recall the compositions of another native of Iceland - the Oscar-winning Hildur Gudnadouttir, who wrote the soundtracks for "Chernobyl" and "Joker". Although in some scenes the growing rumble will again remind the same "Darkness".

The series "Katla" is a great way to get acquainted with the not-too-famous cinematography of Iceland, and indeed take a look at the life of this country. The entire season lasts a little over six hours. But during this time, the characters begin to seem like old acquaintances, so their experiences look true and touching.

One should not expect incredible intricacies in the style of "Darkness" from the project. It's just a slow story about choosing, accepting, and trying to fix the past. Although this topic will surely seem close and familiar to many viewers.