Der Pass

Breathtaking scenery... Winter had a solid performance from every perspective A must watch if you're a fan of a dark thriller

The producers are the same who did DARK, which is an excellent recommendation. Excellent mood and beauty of mountain landscapes on the border between Germany and Austria. Great actors, they simply "do the job". Strong, addictive, sharply confusing thing requiring attention of the viewer .

Der Pass would have to be in the running for best catch-a-serial-killer series this year, and maybe this decade. Shot in the Alps, it never shies away from using the topography to great effect, both with locations and cinematography. There's some interesting characters. I would have preferred detectives without shady backstories and secret relationships for a change, but it seems we the public have to live with that trend a while longer. Certainly the back stories here do add a definite dramatic element and consequence to the investigation, so at least it's all part of one package. Loved the lead male detective dressing like an anti-Oscar Wilde! Loved the lead female detective dressed in red, which really added a symbolism. Der Pass never lets up on the suspense and the surprise. The killer is certainly high functioning, and fully engages attention. The soundscape was awesome too, modern and sophisticated, at an appropriate level, and here and there a good German song. Perfect for a binge.

Excellent production with beautiful cinematography. Have been very wary of Sky-productions in the past, because they simply were not good. This one is a bit of a slow burner in the beginning, but quickly gains steam. Has everything a good thriller needs: mulit-layered protagonists, a little bit of mistery, great score and decent writing. Really nice surprise and a great series for the winter months.

While the script is not a stand out, this show is illustrative of how the way you present it goes a long way. There's some satisfying and unsatisfying subversions of the genre but it's mostly a straight forward story.

What made it excellent is its consistency and commitment to telling a realistic, sometimes lacklustre story via fantastic editing, structure, performances, and especially cinematography. It's just a complete pleasure to consume and feels innovative for the genre, which tends to dwell in realism while sometimes struggling to make that aspect of it interesting. The jump cuts, flashbacks, shot compositions - all of it makes every part of the story compelling television.

If another season had an even more intelligent script with a more pronounced/interesting thematic through line, I think this could reach True Detective s1 status. It has a lot of potential.