(No spoilers.)
So one day it rains, and everyone the rain touches dies.
Thus begins The Rain, the new post-apocalyptic thriller series on Netflix. I’ve just finished the first (and so far, only available) eight-episode season, which debuted last weekend.
The Rain is a Danish production, and its default viewing configuration is dubbed English with no subtitles. I found the slight but omnipresent visual dissonance a little distracting initially, but I got used to it. The voice actors are convincing, and seem to be well-matched to the people they are portraying. Still, if it bothers you, you can choose the original Danish soundtrack with English subtitles.
The setup settles quickly as we see an adolescent girl and her younger brother placed into an expensive bunker (obvious midnight oil on production design here) by their father just as the rain is beginning. The narrative that follows is mostly straightforward. Some of the story is told in flashback, mostly to flesh out characters’ backgrounds. Episodes are about 40 minutes, or occasionally a little longer. (This run time suits my typical treadmill stints very well, so I loved that.) There is minimal fat on The Rain. Both writing and direction are taut, reliably advancing the plot without wandering down pathways of dubious value.
Lead Alba August, who looks strikingly like Laura Linney, brings an effective balance of fear and gravity to her role of Simone. Many scenes and associated threads turn on her responsibility for her brother Rasmus (Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen). Supporting cast members mostly hold up their ends, though she is pretty handily the strongest presence throughout the season.
The soundtrack deserves specific mention. The score is eerie, at times as much a character as part of the setting. There are also a few excellent uses of what I presume is popular Danish music. Obviously these can’t be easily dubbed, so we hear them in their original forms. They still do a good job accentuating scenes and evoking emotional responses.
There is little novelty here that I can see—this is well-worn story territory—but The Rain is skillfully made, and packs enough sensory delight to be worth the modest time investment. I will pick it back up with the second season enthusiastically when it is available.
7/10
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