Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, the creators behind the acclaimed science fiction thriller series Dark, have unveiled their latest collaboration with Netflix, the horror-mystery series 1899. Blending historical drama, murder mystery, and supernaturally-tinged psychological horror, the new show brings an international cast together to weave a spellbinding tale on the high seas. Deliberately paced, 1899 takes its time introducing its key players and the interpersonal conflicts between them before setting the horror elements off like a powder keg, masterfully keeping viewers' attention riveted and fueling its narrative with a healthy amount of dread and suspense across the eight-episode season.
1899 follows a group of international travelers from all corners of the globe aboard a steamship from London to New York City with the promise of a fresh start in the United States. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the ship encounters another abandoned vessel drifting aimlessly, with no visible clues revealing what happened to its passengers and crew. After this ominous discovery, the steamer begins to experience nightmarishly surreal incidents that lead to death and mayhem as this transatlantic voyage becomes a journey through hell.
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One of the more notable things about 1899 is that its ensemble cast is already on edge and distrustful of one another before the supernatural and murderous elements of the show are explicitly woven in. Audiences may be familiar with the premise of a group of travelers suspicious of one another and traveling together, with Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile coming to mind, but1899 ratchets up this interpersonal tension to another level. As with any good whodunnit, each of the main characters carries their own complicated backstories with them, often in secret, that effectively shade their performances as the pressure begins to rapidly rise.
This sense of suspense is aided significantly by the production design, from the stuffy Victorian sets to the haunting ways that the cinematography uses lighting and the sound design that delivers every creak of the floorboards and steady whirring of the ship's engines. Friese and bo Odar have crafted an immersive and atmospheric playground for their story to unfold, and this level of detail helps elevate the entire premise. There's something creepy and unsettling about 1899 right from its opening episode, and this dread powers the whole narrative forward, only escalating and drawing viewers in deeper as the series progresses.
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This show delivers on the dread and the unsettling atmosphere, as everything from past traumas to deeply held prejudices set the stage for the haunting conflicts to take place. The Victorian era is a creatively ripe period to set this story -- this intersection between social progressivism and old-world tradition, the last vestiges of the Gilded Age clashing against the Industrial Revolution -- and this is all fully taken advantage of by the creative team. 1899 works just as well as an engrossing historical drama, thanks to its engaging cast, with the supernatural elements icing on the narrative cake.
1899 is a strong contender for the best feel-bad show of the year, with its conniving characters, unrelenting suspense, and grim stakes. Friese and bo Odar's creative partnership is still operating at the height of its powers as they lean more into period-piece horror with this new show. From its impressive ensemble cast, each delivering haunting performances, to its genuinely creepy ambiance, 1899 will keep viewers guessing about the proceedings right until the end.
Created by Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, 1899 premieres Nov. 17 on Netflix.