"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.
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.