A period of great industrialization in England, the 19and century is stripped of all possible charm in the new CBC fiction series, In the waters of the Far North. With the intention of enriching themselves, a crew embarks on the Volunteera whaler that will quickly become the site of dismal and twisted setbacks.
A less carnal, even bestial sex scene, children playing with the remains of an animal, vomit, several open wounds, the butchering of seals and whales, a rain of blood, a corpse in poor condition: raw scenes abound, so much so that the audience could also get seasick.
Through these off-putting images – the quantity of which raises doubts about their relevance – the series has a plot that is quite long to start, but which has the merit of being well established once started. Henry Drax (carefully played by Colin Farrell) takes pleasure in the suffering of others, which will also be the driving force of the series. No need to be surprised by the excess of violence afterwards, when the past of the two protagonists is built around various abuses.
Although the soundtrack breaks with the realism of the landscapes, sets and period costumes, the quality of these aspects is to be underlined, as is the interesting performance of the actors, including Jack O’Connell. Besides that, the series reminds without censorship that whaling is a bloody practice. Sensitive hearts, it would be better to abstain.
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