Savage River

An above-average crime drama mystery series where everything is too mild, whether believable or unbelievable. The best acting in my opinion goes to Hattie Hook (Ivy) who played naturally and with real charisma, wish everyone played as charismatically and with an enough mix of youth naive craziness & seriousness as her, though second best to her was her mother character Rachel Kennedy.

The screenplay plots are so so, the photography and sceneries the "best" in the show as are various realistic/unrealistic relationships throughout.

In one word, it's mildly recommended, but don't expect anything shiny as in Nordic series.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 6
• Development: 7.5
• Realism: 6.5
• Entertainment: 7
• Acting: 6.5
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
• VFX: 7
• Music/score/sound: 6.5
• Depth: 6.5
• Logic: 4.5
• Flow: 6.5
• Crime/drama/mystery: 6.5
• Ending: 5.5.

Savage River was a brilliantly paced crime/drama with an incredible cast to back it up. From the outset, the plot line found a grounded feel, and escalated in a suspenseful, subversive manner.

The cinematography was stunning and shots pretty laconic. The soundscape behind it was charming no doubt.

Defiantly emblematic of regional Australia and thematically hit the nail on the head of many issues facing these townships.

The spoiler free ending was deeply satisfying - sticking the balance of answering as many questions as it perhaps raised. Really hopping that along with Mystery Road Origins, we see this renewed for another season.

Engrossing, quiet, almost Altmanesque whodunit that weaves an intricate web of criss-crossing, interconnected characters: it seems everyone is related to, or at the very least knows, everyone else in the small Australian town called Savage River. The very beautiful Katherine Langford is the nominal lead, but it's really an ensemble piece. I was kept guessing about its twin mysteries - past and present. Its only real flaw - and it's a trend I notice in more and more TV series lately - is that it's too long; it probably should have been a 2-hour movie, and would have worked better that way. *** out of 4.

It seemed to me that SAVAGE RIVER was trying to create a Scandinavian-type dark crime story. The impressive opening titles certainly gave me that impression. But, for me, it didn't live up to that expectation.

The story is about Miki Anderson, who returns to her hometown in rural Tasmania after serving a 15-year prison sentence for murder. She is determined to put her life back together and figure out who she is on the outside. But her presence dredges up long-held secrets from the past and Miki realizes everything she thought she knew was wrong.

The show is set in the present day, but it has a timeless feel to it. The pacing is slow and deliberate, and the cinematography is beautiful. The problem is that the story is just not that interesting. It plods along and takes ages to go anywhere. And the ending was anti-climactic.

So, while I appreciate the effort that went into making this show, I can't say that I would recommend it.

I found myself really engaged in this series - you know a great creation when you forget its creators and become completely absorbed in the story and with the characters.

Having said that, what a fantastic cast, and beautiful cinematography. It may have been low budget, but the team really made their dollars work for them. I appreciated the time taken to develop the characters, the storyline, and that every thread seemed to be followed through right to the end. I was suprised and disappointed that Virginia Gay isn't listed in the "Top Cast" here on IMDB's listing for Savage River - she played a very significant role and performed masterfully.

The series held my complete attention right to the end, and I was really moved by the final moments - this was so well done.