The North Water - based on a book by academic and author Ian McGuire - is a dark and fairly uncompromising quest into the dark heart of humanity aboard a doomed whaling ship in the arctic wastes. A flawless cast (with a mesmerically beastly Colin Farrell), beautiful location shooting in Svalbard (and some of the furthest North for television) and the esoteric soundscapes of Tim Hecker make this a seriously riveting watch. The pace can sometimes slow to a crawl and the heady themes may get a little muddled along the way, but the whole is atmospheric and intoxicating. Seriously good TV - one of the highlights of the year for me.
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owen-watts14 August 2021
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Tweetienator17 August 2021A dark and twisted tale with some fine acting and good production taking place in the cruel world of whale/seal hunters in the mid of the 19th century. Lots of blood, sweat, grease, crime and violence. A show for a mature audience without any unnecessary gimmicks - recommended if you like such shows like Taboo or The Terror, or movies like In the Heart of the Sea, the classic Moby Dick, The Revenant (DiCaprio), The Vanishing (Gerard Butler) and so on.
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Well acted, great story. Very gritty.
Stephen Graham, brilliant as always.
One reviewer said they couldn't see anything on screen. Sounds like they need a new TV. They also said they couldn't understand the actors accents. It's set in Hull in 1859. How do you expect them to speak? With a plum in their mouths. -
martimusross7 November 2021The North Water
Totally brilliant on every level but certainly not for squeamish or sensitive watchers.
The adaptation from the novel worked through multiple themes these were:
Personal redemption through avarice
A study of a whaling vessels and its practices in the 19 century.
The dog eat dog nature of opportunity and desperation.
That intellect can be a burden because you are forced to think and you cannot ultimately escape yourself.
These multiple themes were inextricably interwoven with different elements coming to the fore and then receding, it was brilliantly paced and constructed, not a second was wasted in developing the story.
The main plot was a man joining a whaling ship following disgrace to rebuild his life, having reached, as he thought "rock bottom". We quickly learned rock bottom was several episodes away and marked by a primordial scream in the wilderness.
The acting ensemble was unbelievable, Jack O'Connell stepped up to the plate and gave a stellar performance, the whole thing rested upon his character. His theatrical training lent a minimalist, nuanced and perfectly effortless performance that belayed this skilful masterclass. Colin Farrell (nearly unrecognisable) was also incredible with a Bill Sykes rendition without the bulldog. Sam Spruell, what a talent and yet I have never seen him before.
The whaling scenes and camerawork was astounding.
Overall, whilst brutal viewing this was a tour de force of brilliance. It should sweep the awards and it a 10 outta 10 from me. -
Didnt expect to find this gem!, if you're bored like me and stumbled on this review, take a chance. It has good acting, great landscape scenes and a believable story. I bet this one is going to end up with at least an 8.00 out of 10 score-wise.
Just raw 1800's whaling at its finest. -
fashinrashin12 August 2021This is a superb BBC production.
We need more Victorian dirty deeds done dirt cheap.
Tom Courtenay went from "The Loneliness of the long distance Runner " 1962 to this and he still has it ! A great actor and 59 years of greatness.
Colin Farrell is a beyond evil and brilliant, and our morally greyed area main lead , Jack OConnell is exceptional too.
Great sets, great editing, great atmosphere MORE please. -
CrazyArty20 October 2021Very engaging period sea drama starring Jack O'Connell and Colin Farrell. Both are excellent here, Farrell is fearsome.
The plot follows a troubled ship's surgeon (O'Connell) on his first voyage aboard a whaling ship in the mid-19th century. He encounters some unsavoury characters with their own agendas.
The plot is good, the acting excellent, it's very realistic with the setting and style (and even a lot of the plot) being much like the series 'The Terror'. Worth a watch. -
TheJonesBones3 September 2021This is a top-notch historical saga about a group of savage men hunting for whales in the Arctic, where they become stranded due to a deliberate act of treachery. While the entire effort seems virtually flawless, I write to commend one standout performance among a stellar cast: Colin Farrell!!
Holy whalebone! His is a menacing character indeed! Thoroughly vile and unrepentant. The only thing worse is his dysfunctional relationship with every other character in the plot - the way a foul stain spoils an entire tapestry, his portrayal of Drax stirs a dark mood into every element of this story.
He is so believable that you won't even recognize him for the first half-episode, because he plays his role in a way that is utterly believable but at the same time completely different from every other role that I've seen him portray. Wow!
Watch this show for an excellent bit of historical drama. Enjoy it for Mr. Farrell!!! -
danielcereto15 August 2021First, I really enjoyed the show. I think it's quite interesting because of the script, characters and settings. A tense and raw experience.
Second, acting here is amazing in general, but specially from Collin Farrell. I think his character is the best. Brutal, savage and pretty well performed by Collin. Probably, his best acting in years.
Last, I haven't read the book yet to clarify the plot holes in the series. I'm not sure why we don't know more about several characters and what happened to them.
On the contrary, last episode was the weakest one. Specially the last 20 minutes are extremely predictable to conclude the story. A wasted opportunity tu create something excellent.
So, to sum up, if you liked series like The Terror (season 1), I suggest to watch this show. -
Marwan-Bob15 December 2021"The world is hell and men are both the tortured souls and the devils within it."
A dark and twisted Story with great acting from The lead actors especially Colin Farrells one of his best performance of the last decades. -
paul2001sw-124 October 2021Based on a novel by Ian McGuire, 'The North Water' is set mostly in the icy wastes of Greenland, following the crew of 19th century whaling ship. It features Colin Farrell, unusually playing a monster, and Tom Courtney, Stephen Graham and Peter Mullan are also in the cast. Unrusprisingly, it's well acted, the production values are generally high, and there are moments of truly gripping horror. But overall I found the narrative uncompelling. Jack o'Connell's character is the central one, but while he experiences a lot, what's absent is his sense of personal journey, that would turn "stuff happens" into a truly satisfying story. I wonder if something has been lost from the source.
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MoistMovies15 July 2021A subject that I don't think has had such a high production value put towards it, that being whaling. Even tho its only one of many themes appear in this story, I look forward to how they depict it.
They didn't hold back on the Sealing parts, so I expect a brutal and accurate depiction of what whalers did back then, how dangerous it was and depicting the types of people that gravitated towards it. Tho my ancestors where a whaling family in the 1800's early 1900's, So it could be a family type of business also back then. And they hired aboriginals for most of the help and paid them proper (Australian).
But back to the amazing pilot.
If the cast alone doesn't get your interested. Just give it a go for the first 15 mins. If you don't like the tone of the series which is very obvious from the get go. Then don't bother watching further and voting it down.
I'll be surprised if my rating changes from a 9, it anything it could be a 10/10 by the end. Stephen Graham and. Jack O'Connell are big draws for me. Graham is a seasoned actor and one of the best from the UK currently who is heavily under appreciated. And O'Connell I've really enjoyed in most of his films and he pushes what genres and types of projects he takes on. A proper actor which is not common and like Graham I think is underappreciated but he's been on the scene less time. Hopefully they both get their due sometime soon with big films but not anything disney related. Marvel, star wars etc.. Please no.
I did not mean to add this random extra bit about the actors and it being so long.. so im just going to finish up here. Just watch the show. -
suripat28 September 2021A very deep and dark slow burning series. You will be at the edge of the seat in many moments. Performances are through the roof but the script is dark and there is oh so much blood. A dark, cold story telling that men are the wolf of men. Enjoy it.
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jivinjunkie3 October 2021Tried several times to watch this but found it wanting, especially after seeing similar productions such as The Terror, which was splendid, perfectly cast and excellently scripted.
The North Water for me lacked gravitas and intent, and I soon became irritated by the unbelievable characters, poor script and lack of atmosphere. -
valeriorinaldi-3636127 July 2021As soon as I watched the trailer I knew it would be good and it hasn't disappointed me. The settings are breathtaking, the acting is excellent and the plot is engaging.
The harsh environment, the gloomy cabins and violent scenes interspersed with ominous dialogues blend together perfectly in this interesting piece of television.
Definitely a must-watch. -
taldarus16 July 2021This is only after watching episode one.
I am only casually skimming through this one, but I have to say that the pacing and content appear to be better than anything else I have seen. If you have seen disappointment after disappointment in recent TV shows, this one might be the thing you are looking for.
Production Quality is excellent.
Writing appears to be excellent, but I am holding judgement for later.
Performance is near perfect.
If the later episodes are comparable, this is easily a 10/10. -
Opinate14 August 2021This mini-series has lots to offer: great acting from Farrell and Graham, and authentic locations and period, but the story is unfocused and there are so many themes thrown around I just couldn't decide what the point was.
What starts out to be a fraud sparks a murder and a chase, it's a hunt and a survival piece, with almost equal footing given to flashbacks that do nothing to drive the story, it's an odyssey and a sermon and so many other things.
In the end no one theme was strong enough to pull me in. Instead it felt like a confused jumble of high ideas thrown together.
Yet it is perhaps worth watching for the scenery and the acting. Or just watch a nature doc on the Arctic. -
This is a brilliant show. Tells the entire story over one series. Slow building, but all connects well. The characters are interesting and acted without flaw. Jack O'Connell & Colin Farrell are the centre pieces of a historical story about the whaling industry and its toxic surroundings.
Very male heavy cast and story. So probably not for everyone. Personally, I enjoyed it. -
tmdarby13 August 2021I really liked this show, dark and disturbing. Colin Farrell was amazing in it. The last episode felt rushed. It covered more time than the first 4 episodes. Other than that great show.
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dcarroll7418 September 2021It's going somewhere but, one must be patient. It's a multi episode so, bare with it. It's like reading a book, unless you turn to the last page, with little or no knowledge, you won't get the whole story. Such is modern life, I want it NOW..
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ma-cortes22 April 2023A ghastly , dark and gloomy series concerning a deep voyage to the edge of reason, brutality and humanity. Epic drama with nice cast as Jack O'Connell, Colin Farrell and Stephen Graham. The North Water tells the story of Patrick Sumner (Jack O'Connell), a disgraced former military doctor embarks in search of redemption from a dark past . He is a deranged doctor aboard a whaler bound for the Arctic resulting in fateful consequences . On board he meets Henry Drax (Colin Farrell) , the harpooner, a brutish killer whose amorality has been shaped to fit the harshness of his world and the tough Captain Brownlee (Stephen Graham) . His quest for redemption becomes a fight for survival in the desolate reaches of the Arctic.
This is an attractive tale of life on the high seas , being vividly brought to small screen , and in particular life on board , dealing with the lives of the whaler sailors who embarked in fish ships , traveling to the high seas to hunt the valuable northern whales . This impressive series takes parts of the classic ¨Moby Dyck¨ by John Huston with the ship Pequod and ¨In the heart of the sea¨ by Ron Howard , adaptations based on Herman Melville's 1851 vintage novel , adding terrifying and creepy scenes in ¨The Terror¨ series style. Suspense and tension throughout the ocean is completely captured , regarding a disgraced ex-army surgeon who signs up as ship's doctor on a whaling expedition to the Arctic , including enduring frames as the braving storms , famine , panic and despair , the men will call into question their deepest beliefs , from the value of their existences to the morality of their works as whale-killers . It is a story with plenty of grisly killings , terror and gory scenes and eventually becomes a harsh struggle for survival in the Arctic wasteland . Climatic battle between the giant whales and the harpooners , it is an overwhelming piece of spectacle as you are likely to watch . Nice interpretations from Jack O'Connell as Sumer , a doctor who's hoping to escape the horrors of his past and himself on an ill-fated journey with a murderous psychopath and the ruthless nasty Henry Dax masterfully played by Colin Farrell . As Sumer , subsequently , consecrates his life to hunt him with full of hating and vengeance . Being well accompanied by a stunning cast , such as : Sam Spruell , Roland Møller , Gary Lamont , Philip Hill-Pearson and special mention for Stephen Graham and the veterans Peter Mullan and Tom Courtenay .
It displays gorgeous cinematography almost entirely on location in Svalbard , Norway and other town scenes in Hungary . The series was well written and directed by Andrew Haigh , shot in hard conditions for six weeks, the production was the furthest north a scripted production has ever filmed and cast and crew lived on two small boats in the Arctic Ocean . In fact , due to extreme weather and environmental conditions, cast and crew were largely unable to rehearse. Rating : 7/10 . The series will appeal to Jack O'Connell and Colin Farrell fans. -
morfindele17 August 2021After watching and reading "The Terror" of Dan Simmons I saw a lot of requests on the same story "but without all that mysticism".
So now we have "The Terror" without the demonic bear - it is calling "The North Water".
The strong story about British sailors from XIX century catched in the northern ice without a vessel and with a minimal chance to survive.
Instead of the fantastical bear we have here Colin Farrel whose acting is brilliant.
Another strong feature of this series is an attention to details on how should the life on the old whaler looks like.
So this is a really good piece for all who were waiting for the appropriate sequel of "The Terror". -
southdavid24 March 2022"The North Water" is a miniseries from 2021 that came onto my radar as it was on the Guardian's Best of 2021 list. Despite some really good performances, I'd say that overall I appreciated, rather than enjoyed the series, for a couple of reasons.
Patrick Sumner (Jack O'Connell) is a surgeon, whose experiences in the British Army have left him with a trauma that only his Laudanum addiction can counteract. He takes a post on a whaling vessel, headed for the Arctic circle but unbeknownst to him, the Captain (Stephen Graham) and owner (Tom Courtenay) have planned to scupper the ship for the insurance money. This plan is further complicated when the Cabin boy Joseph (Stephen McMillan) is murdered by someone on board.
Once you get used to O'Connell's delivery (if you haven't from his previous roles) then you can settle in an enjoy the performances here. All of the actors mentioned above are on good form, as is Sam Spruell. Later in the run Peter Mullan shows up for a small, but pivotal role also. Whilst not as unrecognisable as he is in "The Batman", Colin Farrell is caked in filth, hair and increased body mass as Henry Drax, brutal, violent whaler who becomes the prime suspect in the murder. The period recreation is well created, as is the scarcity and harshness of the landscapes that populate the later episodes.
It is quite bleak subject matter though, there are several murders that end up taking place - as well as the (mostly off screen) slaughter of quite a bit of wildlife. It's certainly not a series to watch as light relief after a hard day. One of the other problems, for me, was that I watched the similarly themed "The Terror" not that long ago which, though not about whalers - covered a similarly doomed voyage and even featured a Polar Bear in one of its key plot points. If I'm honest too, I also felt that despite just being 5 episodes long, the story felt drawn out a little and I was more interested in the murder angle, than I was in what followed.
Really well made, and I'm a big fan of all the performers involved - but I never really came to love it. -
stuart-peacock-120 October 2021The good stuff: Photography is beautiful, I don't understand the people saying it's too dark to see, it looked fine to me - maybe an HDR TV thing? I also don't understand those saying they couldn't understand what the cast were saying, there's Scots, Irish and NE England accents in there but no dialect and the diction was perfectly clear.
Set and costume design are also fabulous and the music adds to the tension although they need to understand the effect is lost if you keep the tension music going all the time.
The not so good stuff: The acting seems good as you'd expect from the cast but the actors don't have much to work with because the characters are implausible and the plot is confused and riddled with holes.
The bad stuff: Normally I'd tolerate a few plot holes in return for a good watch, but the holes in this were so big that they sunk it for me immediately as they made the whole thing unbelievable. Add to that the casual, unnecessary, mindless violence and brutality and I switched off within the first 10 minutes. I watched to nearly the end of the first episode but it had lost me within the first few minutes. -
I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this and was instantly drawn into the world. For a few days after watching it, I kept thinking of that terrible boat and how paranoid and claustrophobic it was.
Colin Farrell is great. Unrecognizable as an animalistic brute terrorizing first the streets of Hull, then the corridors and deck of a creaky whaling ship. But is everything as it seems?
Jack O'Connell plays Patrick Sumner, a doctor with a past battling a morphine addiction.
Impending doom looms large and inevitable as morphine withdrawals.