By Emily Suarez Contributor
Within the first five minutes of watching “Dark,” you may get the sense that you have seen this before. If you do feel this way, do not fret, it is exactly what I felt upon watching the first ever German Netflix series.
The more episodes I watched, the more it resembled the Netflix hit “Stranger Things.” But, as I watched, I also saw how much, well, darker, “Dark” is. This darkness is what makes the show its own, and what made me more intrigued. It’s a great take on the supernatural/sci-fi mashup.
“Dark” tells the story of a small town where children suddenly start to go missing. There is also an old man who mumbles about how the things from 30 years back are happening again. Does this sound familiar at all? It reminded me of September’s hit film, “It,” which was based on the Stephen King novel.
“Dark” is clearly banking off of the recent trend in the media, which includes throwbacks to the ‘80s, strange supernatural disappearances, and a group of young friends trying to solve the mystery. But “Dark” makes the theme work to its advantage, and has a way of standing out from the rest. While both “Stranger Things” and “It” are more kid-friendly, “Dark” lives up to its name. It is a melancholy drama with little comedy and a gothic setting.
The first two episodes set up the four different families involved in the mystery and does a good job providing the viewer with an idea of what that is. Something that struck me was the music in the series. From the moment I heard the theme song accompanying the opening credits, I knew the show would be an interesting watch. All of the music perfectly complements the gloomy and dramatic tone. The teen characters are likeable and the way the siblings interact with one another will remind you of your own siblings.
If you aren’t hooked after the first episode, watch it until the second one and see how you feel about it. I would definitely recommend this show, especially if you like drama-thrillers like “Stranger Things” and “It.” This is definitely a new Netflix series to binge.
