Der Schakal (1997)

Der Schakal: Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. With Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier, Diane Venora. An imprisoned I.R.A. fighter is freed to help stop a brutal, seemingly “faceless” assassin from completing his next job.

“Dark is Netflixu0026#39;s one of the best supernatural, science fiction series. The narrative is mind-bending and utterly complex, but you could see how well it has been planned and how much time has been put into the production and creation of this show.nThere are various reasons that make this show a fantastic series that is bound to mess with your mind, for sure. Now, science fiction is not everyoneu0026#39;s cup of tea, and that is understandable, but trust me Dark really takes it up a notch. And if my words still hasnu0026#39;t convinced you to watch it yet, I hope the following few points can.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e1. The Characters and Their Arcsu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDark has a whole lot of characters, I wonu0026#39;t lie. And for someone who dislikes too many characters, this might pose as a bit of a challenge, but it is all worth it. None of the characters are purely saints, and that is the best part of this show. There is no good and evil, but rather a realistic fact that good and evil resides in everyone. We are all the heroes and also villains in the story, one way or the other. It is compelling to see how as viewers, you are confronted with your own initial prejudices and views about the characters, and how they change along with the progress of the show. It will make you so conflicted till the point that youu0026#39;re not sure who is wrong and who is right, and youu0026#39;ll empathise with them all, for sure. This is how the characters are crafted in the show, and it makes it very difficult to choose favourites.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e2. The Plotline and The Writingu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTrying to explain Darku0026#39;s plotline will be like trying to understand whether the chicken came first or the egg. It is one of the most intricately written stories, but so well laid out and perfectly planned that it will never cease to surprise you at any point. The writers have planned everything out, and they do not miss a single detail. Easter eggs are laid out throughout the show and the whole plotline it just too clever. So clever, it will blow your mind every time.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDark is a show full of thrill, suspense, and mystery, laden with hints of the supernatural and family drama. At no point will you feel bored or underwhelmed, that is a given guarantee. The beauty of this show is that the suspense and mystery keeps you hooked right until youu0026#39;ve finished the show, and even then, you will be craving for more; questioning, scratching your head. The twists and turns are superb and very intricately placed in the storyline. They are dramatic but not stupid. Nothing is wasted on space, story or with dialogues. In Dark, know that every single visual, every single dialogue, everything has a role to play.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe storylines are connected, and no episode will leave you without questions in your mind. You will definitely want more, and when you think youu0026#39;ve figured out the plot, the show writers will pull out another secret, another stunt that will leave you speechless for sure. It is amazing, and I cannot tell you how many times my jaw had hung open while watching this show.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e3. Family Dynamics and Dramau003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt would be wrong to leave out the drama because it surely plays a pivotal role in this show. As Iu0026#39;ve already said how exceptionally well the character arcs are, same is with the family drama too. The show brings together the individual lives of four families whose paths – futures, present, and past – intricately cross with one another, connected in a whole big loop (and by connected, I mean really connected). Questions about sacrifices and betrayal and love all come into focus as the show progresses; whou0026#39;s hiding what, and whou0026#39;s related to who. How far will you go to save your family, to save the ones you love? It is a question that repeats itself over and over, playing out as an elaborate bigger theme.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEach family has their own humanly possible problems to deal with. Starting from loss and grief to battling oneu0026#39;s sexuality and past, it deals with all the aspects in a coherent way. At its core, Dark is largely about familial relationships that span generations, about tragedies, and betrayals that shape them, about the love and hurt, ultimately bringing everything and everyone together in a very complex web. If you thought understanding the family dynamics and drama in Once Upon a Time and Game of Thrones was difficult, wait until you watch Dark.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e4. Time Travel, But With Logicu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne of the setbacks of this show could have easily been its time travelling storyline because, letu0026#39;s face it, it is super hard to create a reasonable time travel story. Often than not, shows dealing with this theme has the risk of losing the logical explanation and then witness everything going haywire. But Dark surely takes this theme at its best and delivers to us a complicated show that youu0026#39;ll eventually understand. To put it lightly, time travel also exists in the show as a metaphor of confronting your own self, past and future, and in the way paving the way for growth (and maybe destruction too). It doesnu0026#39;t actually mess up with its varying range of timelines, and keeps a note of all the complexities, all the timelines, knitting everything together in a clean circle. At times, it may get difficult to understand and seem to get haphazard and it surely will be confusing, but things play out well. It is all well at the end.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e5. The Various Philosophical Themesu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn the midst of family drama and time travelling, Dark also has in store a whole array of philosophies to boggle your mind and keep you questioning your own beliefs, your sanity long after the show is over. Largely dealing with the question of time and human origin, the show tends to treat time in the same vicinity as that of God. To create a world without time enslaving us humans is one of the central running theme of this show, and something that it follows quite religiously. Using fantasy, it takes on a very different angle or storytelling in the television era, questioning the meaning of faith and family, blood and time. It takes into questions about fate, destiny and choices. Can you change your destiny? Can you be truly free from the clutches of time? Can you change your future? Are we really ever free of time?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e6. A Visual Delightu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eApart from the brilliant lead of casts and the super confusing yet fantastic plotline, Dark is also blessed with pleasing visuals which is a definite 10/10. The creepy forest setting provides an excellent view to the storyline, adding a sense of fear and dread in the viewers. The caves too provide an atmospheric essence to the story, a pioneer of time travel that connects everything. The settings are eerie and mostly unsettling, and seem to be always announcing an impending doom. It can be agreed that the cinematography really adds a whole boost to the whole series, adding exclusively to the suspenseful storyline. It complements the show really well, and becomes one of the reasons why this show is extremely amazing to watch.”