Katla

Katla streaming on Netflix

8 episodes, 40 - 50 minutes

In Icelandic with English subtitles 

tags: drama, fantasy, Iceland, mystery, science fiction, supernatural

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from Netflix

A year after Katla's eruption, the shattered survivors are still grappling with the aftermath. Suddenly, an ash-caked woman appears on the glacier.

The drama mystery series from Iceland, although not a crime mystery, reminds me of the Welsh crime drama series Hinterland and the Russian movie How I Ended This Summer for its beautiful but bleak scenery. The mystery of the naked woman covered in ashes emerging on the glacier is captivating right from episode 1. More ash-caked people emerge. Fascinating watch.

Highly recommended.

On Episode 5, the little boy who died 3 years earlier appears as one of the ash-caked creatures but his father knows he is not his real son. The mother runs away with him and on the road realizes he is not who he is so she abandons him in the middle of the road. On Episode 6, he is shown looking at a downed small airplane. With his outfit -blue coat over light colored sweater and pajama pants, and his boots - he looks like the Little Prince. Then he starts talking to the dying sheep. Definitely an allusion to The Little Prince novel and maybe a clue as to his origin. 

Spoilers

I usually super analyze sci-fi mystery thrillers and I can't help but write my opinion [which may not agree with other viewers] of this short but highly entertaining series. 

The main story is about loss of people the residents cared for and their descent into loneliness and regret. The writer is brilliant in presenting the story as folklore but is actually sci-fi thriller.

The geologist Darri after getting and studying a piece of rock in the glacier crevasse surmises that it is a meteor containing alien particles. These alien particles hear what the residents are thinking of. The "clones" of the people they are wishing or are sorry for emerge only after an ash storm. He put two and two together when his "son" materializes in the lab where he works. This was triggered by his co-worker commenting on the photo of his son and he starts thinking about him, how he should be 12 years old at the present had he not died 3 years before. The dead son was not the cute lovable child like The Little Prince in the novelette. His son is the boy equivalent of Rhoda Penmark in The Bad Seed.

This discovery of  Darri seems nearer to the truth than the Changelings folklore introduced early in the series:

>The first creature that appeared is from the thoughts of Thor, the father of the main character, Grima. He was thinking of the Swedish woman, Gunhild, whom he had an affair with 20 years ago when she worked at the local hotel Vik. This Gunhild did not age and remembers things as if they happened yesterday. The real Gunhild has been living back in Sweden and has a son Bjorn who has physical disability. He is the son of Thor whom he never knew about. Thor knows the young clone Gunhild and the old Gunhild are one and the same person. 

>Second to appear is the sister of Grima. Asa. She disappeared a year ago during a storm. Grima became depressed and inattentive to her husband, Kjartan. Grima found Asa alive in an unlikely place. When a dead frozen body was found under the same place Asa was found, it turned out it is the dead body of Asa who died after all and not just missing. She appeared because Grima was thinking of her and their mother who committed suicide. Grima feels regret that she didn't attempt to save her. It was the older Asa who tried but failed. 

>The third ash-caked creature to appear is Mikael, the dead son of Darri. He as a very young boy, clipped a wing of a live bird and although he was remorseful, the father didn't believe him. He torched his school because he didn't like being bullied by the other children. He then killed himself walking in front of a moving truck or car.

>The policeman Gisli's wife Magnea is bedridden for many years now and he wished she's healthy and walking. A new Magnea is now cooking in their kitchen. He was conflicted on whom to choose - the invalid true person or the healthy creature?

>Kjartan wants Grima and him to leave the island and go live in Rejkavik but Grima doesn't want to leave. Kjartan wishes for the old Grima, a young happy girl who made their house a decent place instead of the current one in need of maintenance and some cheery decors. A new Grima suddenly appears right there in the kitchen affirming the theory of Darri.

The "clones" are there for a reason - a closure or a wish granted. 

>The young Gunhild was found to be pregnant and the child will have genetic physical disability. She disappeared into thin air after Thor learned of this.

>Asa walked into the sea just like her mom after reassuring her sister Grima that it was not her fault.

>Mikael was drowned by his "parents" because he is not a real person. It is still disturbing to watch.

>Magnea and "Magnea" escaped from the deranged Gisli and drove right into Katla.

>Grima the clone remained because the original Grima realizes her husband prefers the cheerful normal "clone". He acts as if she is invisible. Real Grima played Russian roulette with her clone. The clone Grima won.

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I thought initially that the series needs a second season but after watching it again, it really doesn't need one. The story is complete and a second season might ruin the message of the series.