They say we shouldn't judge a book by its cover (or a show by its synopsis, in this case). I, however, did just that before I began watching Requiem. I had seen its description, that Netflix provided, along with its preview and I, wrongly, assumed that this show was going to be yet another low quality horror like so many other Netflix original movies and series (I'm talking about you Hemlock Grove and The Open House). I was ready to tear this terrible show apart, so I decided to hit the play button and give it a go. Needless to say (If you read the title of this review), I was pleasantly surprised. Requiem was not, in fact, a terrible horror series. Instead, it was a pretty decent psychological thriller with supernatural elements and, as an added bonus, it had some pretty cool "trippy" imagery and music too.
I don't want to spoil too much about the plot because I do believe that this show is worth watching (if this type of thing is your cup of tea, that is) so I will keep this description short. Requiem follows Matilda, a young musician, as she tries to unravel the mystery of her mother's suicide and her own past. She finds that both she and her mother have a connection to a small Welsh town and the supernatural force that dwells there. As she learns more about herself, there is a growing sense of danger and she must, ultimately, choose between discovering the knowledge that she seeks or saving her own life. There is a lot more to this show than all that but I don't want to ruin it for you. Suffice to say, it is a solid story.
The first thing that I noticed when I started this series is the, borderline, psychedelic imagery that pops up here and there. You can see that the poster (which I used for the image, above) stands out in this way. The "trippyness" really provides a haunting atmosphere to the show and works great with its subject matter. It also demonstrates that the filmmakers did, actually, have a vision for what they wanted to create. This is something that they clearly went out of their way to do and it adds a lot of class and style to the whole production.
I would also use the term "haunting" to describe the music in Requiem. It is similar to New Age music (which I normally don't care for) and it sounds very dream-like. Given the nature of the series and the story that it tells, this style of music adds quite a bit of "watchability". This isn't a huge thing that one notices on the surface, mind you, but I have always argued that the music in a show or film can make the difference between bad and good or between good and great. It is an issue of attention to detail and whoever made Requiem was clearly paying attention to his or her details.
Requiem is a good looking show. Its cinematography is more than adequate throughout the series. The sets are great and do not look cheap. The Welsh countryside provides some nice eye candy for the viewer. Over all, I have nothing but praise for this aspect of the series.
As much as I liked Requiem, I cannot ignore its flaws. Its acting is a bit hit or miss. Most of the actors were competent but the actress who plays Matilda is a kind of flat. She is not Samurai Cop levels of bad but she doesn't strike me as particularly talented either. Fortunately, this did not bother me all that much because the other aspects of the show had drawn me in enough to allow me to ignore her bland delivery.
The revelation about the supernatural "force" is a minor let down too. It isn't bad or something that is over used in films or television but it wasn't as interesting as I had hoped. However, getting to that revelation is a lot of fun for a viewer and I consider this to be only a small issue, in the long run. I should note, that despite the disappointing revelation, the end of the series is still very satisfying.
Requiem is no Game of Thrones or True Detective (season one) in terms of production value, writing, or acting but I couldn't keep myself from enjoying it. It has flaws but they are pretty minor. It does what it sets out to do and it manages to be entertaining while it's doing it, which is all I really need from a show or film. If this type of thing floats your boat, tickles your pickle, or [insert playful euphemism for "interests you"], then check it out.
Peace.
The images in this post are sourced from the shows's promotional material and are used in accordance with fair use laws. The show and some of promotional material can be found on Netflix and various other sources.