Carnival Row

It is, as mentioned in the description, a neo-noir fantasy. With all its ups and downs. From its ups I would emphasize the fact that the creators turned Prague and the Czech Republic into an incredible fantasy world called Tirnanoc. I really enjoyed some shots. Mainly shots of Prague and then Prachov Rocks. It looks almostas epicas if this fantasy series was to our country what The Lord of the Rings was to New Zealand. It is just a pity that the story line is boring. Orlando Bloom portrays an investigator and tries to be a detective in a detective series with noir elements. But I think it doesn’t fit the overall premise even though I’ve forced myself to finish the series. Eventually I realized that I had watched the series more out of respect for Orlando Bloom and his fondness for the Czech Republic than out of genuine enjoyment. I don’t know, I find it needlessly slow-paced with a lot of dialogues and unnecessary erotic scenes. I don’t know if I’m going to watch the second season. (22.10.2020)

This year's series ride continues, and Carnival Row is another new favourite. The series is set in Victorian times with a detective, fantasy and horror elements and is filmed entirely in Prague. It deals with the rather topical subject of immigration, where mythical creatures (fairies, fauns) are considered migrants and inferior society, and I have to say that this interestingly imagined world caught my eye immediately. Orlando Bloom as the detective is perfect and I enjoyed Cara Delevingne as a fairy, but Jared Harris (Chernobyl), as the Chancellor of Parliament, and David Gyasi, a Faun who comes to town as the only one with great wealth, are also impressive. Apart from the superb production design and the brilliantly imagined world, the horror elements impress, especially the central monster called the Night Butcher (a creature made up of dead body parts) is one of the best ever, and there are werewolves too! Of course there is also raw gore, perfect dialogues (a joy to listen to), beautiful costumes and in the last two episodes there is such a load of twists and turns that your brain will boil. Watched with bated breath and even though the series is not exactly action packed, it is attractive and smart enough to keep my attention. There are already 4 seasons announced, so big plans. Recommended. 90% (26.09.2019)