Arcadia

Had low expectations going in based of of TV commercials. Remained sceptical throughout first epsiode. Set wise they've basically scraped together every even vaguely brutalist bit of architecture in a 400km radius around Antwerp, which I kinda like to be honest. Kept me wondering, is this supposed to be the future or an alternative timeline of the past? The acting is nothing to write home about, but the story is pretty fun. It's at least refreshing to see and hear a dystopian story in my native Dutch. It's not particularly original, or innovative, but it's consistent and not just cheap thrills. Someone's clearly put in the effort to match the setting, the visuals and the story without going overboard on any of them. It's kept my attention for half the season so far. Still not amazed, but be sure to give it a try, cause it might just grow on you.

One of the best Flemish/Dutch series ever!!!! I am not really a fan of Belgian series but this is mind blowing. Very interesting characters, good story, beautiful decor, good actors,... The series keeps you busy thinking about it, with lots of surprises inside the storyline. You can talk and talk and talk about it for hours, how things go, what theory is behind everything. Never a bored moment. The ending episode is amazing, just keeps you with your mouth open, surprised,...and waiting and counting down to the next season. Arcadia is a must watch serie. I hope there will be a season two as soon as possible.

This TV serles made headlines for its big budget, and proves you need more than money to make an interesting show. The story revolves around people's credit score. Not a very original idea, but could still be interesting if executed well. We see the lives of a family where the father gets sentenced for messing with his daughters credit score. He has to go and leave his family behind. Now we follow the lives of his wife and daughters. Not much happens next. The show is slow, very slow. The acting is poor and the dialogues are very dull. None of the characters are interesting or move you emotionally. The show depicts a dystopian future, but mostly because that future looks so boring and uninteresting.

And this series has everything right. From architecture, safety nudging (deuren sluiten) marketing, even children's books (Lientje is een tientje) the tapistry of detail never stops. EVERYTHING is just right. This level of detail is what netflix and Hollywood completely lost and is only possible in indie or European production. There are no USoA viewers who can appreciate this as they judge video productions by their own narrow standards.

Acting is totally onpar and above. I'm dutch but never realised so much talent in Belgium (Vlamingen that is). A great world is created sometimses Tarkovskian, sometimes GATTACA or Blade Runner. I anticipate a British production of The Wall.

This show was announced to be the most expensive Belgian show ever made (with a little help from our friends). Yet the acting is so appalling, so bad. The story is quiet alright, the actors are not unknown starting actors, so what the hell went wrong? Watching this show (in your native language - Dutch) is like watching a very poorly dubbed Spanish movie. There is no life in these characters, no emotions, no nothing.

But if you can muster the bad acting and horrible lines, please watch. Realise that that world is hopefully not our future, although we are silently moving into that direction.

And did we really need the Dutch ;-)