The Rain
2018
Original language: Danish
- sci-fi & fantasy
- drama
The story
After a brutal virus wipes out most of the population, two young siblings embark on a perilous search for safety. A Scandinavian thriller series.
What it’s like
Grey, washed-out Danish landscapes under constant drizzle, with empty roads, rusted cars and abandoned towns that look left mid-sentence. Rain is never far from the frame, and the palette runs cold: slate skies, muted greens, the sickly yellow of emergency lighting and the flat white of bunker interiors. Camera work stays close and unshowy, following two siblings through rooms and tunnels where the silence is broken only by dripping water, wind and the hum of machinery. The mood is bleak, tense and wary, closer to quiet dread than to spectacle, with a slow rhythm that gives way to sudden bursts of danger. Violence is present and can be sharp and unsettling, with some deaths and disturbing scenes, though it is rarely lingered on for gore. Sexual content is minimal. The emotional register is grim but tender where the bond between the young leads is concerned, and their arcs trace a loyal, fragile partnership tested by isolation and mistrust. This suits late-night viewing alone, or anyone drawn to cold, rain-soaked post-apocalyptic thrillers with a teen-centred heart. It is not a gentle watch and does not suit anyone wanting something soothing or light.
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