Here is my casual review of 'The Day After' as it is titled on Amazon Prime and IMDb.
In summary, it is a Russian television show about a group of people who find themselves trapped in a bunker with no memory of how they got there.
There is a larger story about Moscow being hit with a virus that mutates women in monsters.
So I'll avoid any more spoilers and just get to the meat of my thoughts.
*Acting*: The acting is pretty good. There is very much an 'anti- capitalist' theme here, and the villains chew the scenes there is no denying it. But the main cast is pretty solid. It's such a large ensemble that not everyone gets equal screen time, so hard to gauge the skill of every actor. I'm half way in and still don't buy the romance sub-plot between what I suppose are the shows main characters.
*Script*: Hard to say. The version on AP suffers from some of the worst translations I've ever seen. Not only that, but sometimes they get partially cut off (I'm watching these on a Roku Model 2 and cannot adjust screen size). So you really have to pay attention to what the actors are doing and the mood they are trying to convey.
They do this very well and I get the main thrust of the scenes, though I think maybe some plot points that were considered frivolous were changed in the port-over.
*FX*: Eh, this is the show's weakest element. The bunker is well done, but moving outside it begins to showcase the budgetary limitations.
Some of the props are obviously that. The "monsters" are... well they do jerk around in this distinctive way, sort of like on 'The Strain'. The blood I suppose looks 'real' enough. But 'The Walking Dead' this is not.
*Conclusion*: I'm enjoying this, but can't really recommend it outside the novelty factor. It just has too many things going against it unless you speak Russian.
If you are a die-hard post-apocalypse fan, you may want to check this out as it explores the typical themes from a slightly skewed cultural angle we Westerners are not exposed to everyday.
Die Hard Post Apocalypse Fans: 8/10 Everyone Else: 4/10
In summary, it is a Russian television show about a group of people who find themselves trapped in a bunker with no memory of how they got there.
There is a larger story about Moscow being hit with a virus that mutates women in monsters.
So I'll avoid any more spoilers and just get to the meat of my thoughts.
*Acting*: The acting is pretty good. There is very much an 'anti- capitalist' theme here, and the villains chew the scenes there is no denying it. But the main cast is pretty solid. It's such a large ensemble that not everyone gets equal screen time, so hard to gauge the skill of every actor. I'm half way in and still don't buy the romance sub-plot between what I suppose are the shows main characters.
*Script*: Hard to say. The version on AP suffers from some of the worst translations I've ever seen. Not only that, but sometimes they get partially cut off (I'm watching these on a Roku Model 2 and cannot adjust screen size). So you really have to pay attention to what the actors are doing and the mood they are trying to convey.
They do this very well and I get the main thrust of the scenes, though I think maybe some plot points that were considered frivolous were changed in the port-over.
*FX*: Eh, this is the show's weakest element. The bunker is well done, but moving outside it begins to showcase the budgetary limitations.
Some of the props are obviously that. The "monsters" are... well they do jerk around in this distinctive way, sort of like on 'The Strain'. The blood I suppose looks 'real' enough. But 'The Walking Dead' this is not.
*Conclusion*: I'm enjoying this, but can't really recommend it outside the novelty factor. It just has too many things going against it unless you speak Russian.
If you are a die-hard post-apocalypse fan, you may want to check this out as it explores the typical themes from a slightly skewed cultural angle we Westerners are not exposed to everyday.
Die Hard Post Apocalypse Fans: 8/10 Everyone Else: 4/10