The Swarm Review 2023 Tv Show Series Cast Crew Online
When marine biologist Charlie Wagner ( Leonie Benesch ) finds a large amount of methane ice on the surface of the water during a check trip near the Shetland Islands, she is astonished. How can this be when it is normally only found at great depths on the seabed? The scientist Dr. At the same time , Sigur Johanson ( Alexander Karim ) discovers ice worms on the seabed near Norway that reproduce very quickly and are larger than usual. Also the whale researcher Leon Anawak ( Joshua Odjick) notices that something strange is going on. Actually, the whales off Vancouver Island in Canada should have been there long ago. And when they do come, they show completely untypical behavior. Meanwhile, the molecular biologist Dr. Cécile Roche ( Cécile de France ) to find out what killed the head chef of a luxury restaurant on the French Atlantic coast…
Even if the science fiction genre actually offers the opportunity to think up the most incredible stories and penetrate new worlds, the genre currently seems to be predominantly used to show a broken earth. Most recently, for example, the films Vesper Chronicles and Rubikon dealt with what should happen after the climate catastrophe and the poisoning of the blue planet. In such a mood, it’s somehow obvious that The Swarm by Frank Schätzing should be played againis unpacked. Published in 2004, the novel became a worldwide success. Soon there was talk of a Hollywood film adaptation, and big names were in the room. But the project was already dead before it really started. Instead, years later it was announced that ZDF would retell the story as part of an international co-production.
There was a lot of skepticism. It’s not just that German television doesn’t produce Hollywood pictures. Schätzing, who was initially involved in the implementation, also left the production in a highly publicized manner and accused the story of being more of a pilgrim than a rave. This is a huge exaggeration and just shows that the author is making TV dramas based on Rosamunde Pilcheronly known by name. At least in the first season, there is nothing that even comes close to comparing the relationship mess of the infamous author. Sure, in some places the characters are more in the foreground than the maritime threat. Compared to other thematically similar productions, the series is unremarkable, nothing that should bother you excessively in the current series landscape. But this isn’t the overwhelming event that The Swarm was sold as.
One problem is that the pictures really don’t have Hollywood quality. In some places the CGI is quite passable. On others it looks rather cheap. And very artificial, which is something that no longer bothers anyone, even in the big studios. It is also a shame how little the international ensemble is used. There are already some well-known names there. However, the actors and actresses hardly leave much of an impression, as their respective roles and the sometimes very mediocre dialogue do not reflect that. Only now and then does it get more concise, including an emotional scene in episode five. This is one of the highlights of the season because the threat of The Swarm actually becomes noticeable hereclaimed for themselves. Because that is also likely to bother quite a few viewers: the series is not exciting in the sense that there would really be great danger. A few people die in the first episodes. Compared to the series Zoo a few years ago, which told a similar story, this doesn’t feel like a global threat.
But that doesn’t mean that everything is bad, even if the various weaknesses suggest that. Despite everything, the series, which premiered at the Berlinale 2023 , is still quite good to watch. If you don’t know the story, you can start by asking yourself what all the strange events are about and how they are connected. Some of the maritime attacks are also beautifully perfidious and show what potential the scenario has. But it’s only enough for solid mediocrity. Schätzing’s novel wasn’t really original, as he used ideas that others had too. However, he combined this with a significantly greater commitment to science. The rather free TV adaptation The Swarmshortens the latter and thus becomes one science fiction thriller among many. If you like these, you can’t really go wrong with this. After a 20-year wait, one could have expected more.
“The Swarm” is certainly not as bad as previously announced. The series is just somehow quite interchangeable. The global threat is only noticeable in a few places, the visuals are underwhelming, and the prominent ensemble doesn’t get enough to do. Anyone who doesn’t know the story may, at least initially, be surprised by the strange events – especially since some maritime attacks are really perfidious.
