Thought I would start off with a brief introduction/ background of the show. Darknet is a Canadian Horror series consisting of six 25 minute episodes. It’s an adaptation of the Japanese series Tori Hada (which I have not watched but may look into). Each episode is different and features different story lines in different horrific situations (said different a lot their sorry couldn’t think of another word!). All episodes are linked to the website Darknet, where people can post questions, answers or videos of or about murder.
I found this TV show on Netflix after my mum had recommended it and I have to say I watched the whole series in a couple of hours. I haven’t seen anything like this, the stories are so bizarre and horrific, it’s amazing that someone actually thought this up! Similar films and TV programmes that come to mind when watching this are V/H/S and Tales of the Unexpected (it’s a British TV show which ran from 1979-1988, is dated but still worth a watch if you haven’t seen it). Each episode is directed by a different director which keeps the series fresh and interesting as everyone has a different take on how they wanted their episode to look.
Surprisingly they’re no stars in this series, so the focus is more on the story line which is very impressive for a new TV show especially one that is so unique, however the acting is still very good. I must warn anyone who is thinking of watching this show; it is not for the faint-hearted! It is gory, violent and jumpy! My mum who is probably the most skittish person I know when watching scary films or shows, had to fast forward through one sequence in episode three because she was so scared!
Although I enjoyed watching this show, it was clear to me that the first three episodes were far better than the last. The first half of the series focused on intertwining the different story lines so fluidly and the outcome of the individual stories were unbelievable. However the last half seem to lose it even though it was still scary the stories became too complicated and predictable (Episode 5, I called the twist around 10 minutes in). The series finale also confused me but I won’t talk about that as it might ruin it for anyone who decides to watch it. Despite that I I would still recommend it for people who are interested in new, experimental horror shows.
When researching about the TV show for this blog post I found out something quite interesting which made me like the concept of the show even more. After the series finale, the makers of the show asked viewers to send their own scripts or short films to be used in the new series or on the website. The film industry always needs new screenwriters and filmmakers and I applaud thee makers for creating an opportunity for experimental filmmakers who haven’t yet had their chance. I am not sure whether they are still taking in submissions but I have posted a link to the Darknet website if anyone is interested in looking into that further.
Overall I thought this was a very interesting show and enjoyed every episode. A lot of shows on TV at the moment are very similar so it is very refreshing to watch a show that is so experimental and weird. I would warn people who scare easily, this might not be for you I have posted a link to Darknet’s vimeo page which has teasers of the show so if you like them it’s worth watching an episode or two. I can only hope that they decide to make a second series as I believe with the input of new screenwriters and filmmakers the show can only get more shocking.
http://darknetfiles.com/
http://vimeo.com/darknetfiles/videos
Film Girl 