What is BLACK NARCISSUS?

 Article first published as TV Review: BLACK NARCISSUS on Seat42F.

This week, BLACK NARCISSUS premiered on FX and the BBC. A joint-production, FX marketed it as a creepy show based on the 1939 novel by Rumer Godden. Though, watching the three-episode miniseries, I’m not sure that accurately describes it. In fact, this show is very hard to define exactly what it is or what genre it belongs in.

BLACK NARCISSUS begins high up in the Himalayas with a disturbing opening in a cliffside “house of pleasure,” or that’s what it appears to be, anyway. (The truth is close enough to that.) A tragic event happens. Then, about twenty years later, a quintet of nuns move into the abandoned building to form a school for the locals. The place seems suitable to their needs, though there are just a few strange things that happen, especially to one nun in particular, sort of related to that opening.

I’m halfway through the miniseries as I write this and I plan to finish it. But I’m still not sure exactly what to say about BLACK NARCISSUS when considering it overall. There isn’t a sense of urgency or danger in any real way (except when climbing those railing-less steps). There also isn’t any certainty that something big will happen before the end. I am not familiar with the novel or the 1940s film adaptation, but this seems to be a slow-moving drama without an overriding central narrative, other than running a school, and maybe being haunted just a tiny bit.

The setting of BLACK NARCISSUS is absolutely beautiful. The views from the mountain are, as you might imagine, breathtaking. I don’t have much frame of reference to say how accurate it is, and I wonder about the feasibility of building a ‘palace’ so far up and having other stone-hewn villages nearby. But the design is very cool and detailed, and this certainly seems like a place I would love to visit.

Gemma Arterton (The Girl with All the Gifts) stars as Sister Clodagh, the leader of the little group, and she is very compelling. Sister Clodagh’s inner life is explored through a series of flashes to a different time. It’s unclear if these are things that actually happened or just what she wishes her life to be like. But it’s informative to see her wavering of the mission when outwardly she is so focused and holy. She is doing her best in running the group, and she’s not bad at leadership. Though she can be a bit petty at times.

The rest of the roles are well-performed, too. My second favorite is Mr. Dean (Alessandro Nivola, Chimerica), an immigrant who has blended in with the locals, and who offers handyman support and eye candy for the nuns. I assume he’ll have something to do with how things end, but that’s unclear at the moment. I really like friendly Sister Briony (Rosie Cavaliero, Hold the Sunset), a good moral center and caretaker to the group. Sister Philippa (newcomer Karen Bryson) is intriguing and odd. Sister Ruth (Aisling Franciosi, The Fall) provides the right amount of crazy, pretty shocking, but not so much as it feels weird that she’s still among them. Nila Aalia (Wolfblood) is wonderful as Angu Ayah, the local who lives among the nuns, and seems to be the only one who really knows the secrets of the place.

For the performances and the vistas, I recommend BLACK NARCISSUS. After all, it’s a small time commitment, basically a movie and a half, and those are important elements. My hesitation stems from the lack of clear story, but maybe the second half will pick up? I doubt it. Even so, it’s neat to sit in this world for a few hours.

BLACK NARCISSUS is available to watch in its entirety now on Hulu, through FX.

Falling for THE FALL

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'The Fall - Series One' and 'Series Two' on Blogcritics.

The Fall is a slow-burn British crime drama about a cat-and-mouse game between a member of law enforcement and a serial killer. That sentence accurately describes the series, but it also accurately describes a number of other shows as well. What is unique about The Fall is the wonderful style of the production, tone of the action, and gripping authenticity of the performances. If you haven’t had a chance to experience it yet, both series that have aired thus far are be available on Blu-ray and DVD this week from Acorn Media.

The Fall stars Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, Hannibal) as Stella Gibson, an intelligent investigator sent to Belfast to solve a murder. Much to her boss Jim Burns’ (John Lynch, Sliding Doors), chagrin, Stella sees a pattern in recent deaths, and petitions to run a task force to track the presumed serial killer. Working alongside young, eager Danielle Ferrington (Niamh McGrady, Holby City) and forensic analyst Reed Smith (Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife), and others, Stella manages to be a part of the team while still serving her lone-wolf persona. Seeing how smart she is, there is no doubt Stella can solve the case.

Except, Stella’s quarry, Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan, Fifty Shades of Grey, Once Upon a Time), is equally clever. Paul has a nice suburban life with his wife, Sally Ann (Bronagh Waugh, Hollyoaks), and two children. Not what you’d expect from a psychopath, right? But Paul is a master manipulator, and one is never sure if he cares all that much about his spouse or the teenage babysitter, Katie (Aisling Franciosi, Legends), who is as easy to influence as she is taken in by Paul. And so, despite his patterns and mistakes, Paul proves quite tough to catch.

When I say The Fall is slow-burn, I only sort of mean it. It does take a bit of time to get started, but it picks up speed fairly early on, and only gets faster in later installments, even if it doesn’t get to the end quickly. Series one consists of five episodes. The six-episode Series two, which picks up only a few days later, is where things get crazy and tense, and begin to really take off. With a cliffhanger ending, Series three, which recently filmed and has yet to air, will continue the same story, even when it’s hard to see where else there is to go. The show constantly reinvents itself, telling one connected tale, but frequently upping the stakes and the rules of the game.

The only complaint I really have about The Fall is the awkward transition from series one to two. Of course, there’s an issue with the kids aging more than the time passed would allow, but it seems like nearly every actor in the show changed hairstyle or color, at least a little. One person, maybe two, I’d believe, but when it’s everyone, the break feels a lot longer than it was.

That is only cosmetic, though. The writing itself doesn’t let up and remains compelling, even when the leaps may look big on paper. With the excellent performances of Anderson and Dornan, it’s hard to stop watching, even if it is emotionally draining to binge more than two episodes at a time.

The extras in the included in the sets are a bit weak, not unexpected from Acorn. Series one contains only a single 12-minute featurette that goes behind the scenes, too brief to get much out of it. Series two barely steps it up, with another quick peek behind the camera, as well as some deleted scenes and a photo gallery. Personally, I don’t find a photo gallery a beneficial inclusion, and deleted scenes are pretty much expected at this point. So I the extras certainly aren’t a selling point for these Blu-ray and DVD sets. But that doesn’t really matter since The Fall itself is good enough to recommend, bare bones and all.

You have your choice of Blu-ray and DVD, and, honestly, I can’t say there’s a compelling case for one over the other. The Fall is dark and gritty, and doesn’t make much use of any high definition advantage. But I am a bit of a quality snob, so even if the only difference is an image and soundtrack that’s a bit crisper, I’d still get Blu-ray for the best viewing experience.

The Fall Series One and Two are now available on Blu-ray and DVD.