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Miniseries – The North Water

Play trailer 2:19 Poster for Miniseries – The North Water Jul 2021 Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
A disgraced ex-army surgeon signs up as ship's doctor on a whaling expedition to the Arctic; on board he meets a harpooner, a brutish killer whose amorality has been shaped to fit the harshness of his world.
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The North Water — Miniseries

The North Water — Miniseries

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Critics Consensus

The North Water's story doesn't always hold together, but its brooding atmosphere and strong performances from Jack O'Connell and Colin Farrell keep it afloat.

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Critics Reviews

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Graeme Blundell The Australian 12/28/2021
A TV series baffling in its strangeness but often quite beautiful to look at. Go to Full Review
Kylie Northover The Age (Australia) 11/03/2021
5/5
The acting is superb, and Farrell, even when mostly grunting or smirking like a deranged psychopath, is the standout; he brings McGuire's Drax to life so well it's frightening. Go to Full Review
John Doyle Globe and Mail 10/11/2021
This might be Farrell's best work yet. His Drax is a believable monster of a man, uncivilized in thought and action, epitomizing the rawness under the surface of Victorian niceties. Go to Full Review
Akos Peterbencze Vulnerable Man (Medium) 07/24/2023
The writing is sharp, the atmosphere is horrifically bleak, and every scene reeks of masculinity and machismo that could elevate any Victorian drama. Go to Full Review
Bree Fowler CNET 03/30/2023
If you make a TV show about a ship (whaling or otherwise) destined for the Arctic and set it in the 19th century and put a bunch of great actors in it, I will watch that show and I will absolutely enjoy that show. Go to Full Review
Mitchell Beaupre Awards Radar 09/22/2022
3.5/4
To match the texture of the world, Haigh cast two intensely physical actors in O’Connell and Farrell, perfectly matched to face one another over the course of the series. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Nicholas B @RT55131437 Jul 20 The first 2 episodes felt indulgently grim and relentlessly bleak, but I'm mostly glad I stuck with it. Some impressive performances and cinematography also helped bolster its exploration of an existential dread, where the answers to the big questions in life seem fated to elude us all. A bit clunky/uneven in spots, but it's par for course when your themes are so ambitious. Not exactly life-affirming, but it does yield some surprisingly positive affirmations just the same. See more Payehgostar c @RT91145460 10/17/2024 Hold on the first episode then you'll get engaged. Great acts, strong plot and stream of story. The music is EPIC. Especial effects could have been more powerful especially the whale hunting and slicing. A coherent artwork on the whole. See more Peter K @RT48408121 10/04/2024 From the very start of this series there were no beg your pardons regarding content and the rawness of the day. I had to ween myself into it a little at first but found myself soon watching it all in a couple of days. Colin Farrell's character set the pace and pretty much the direction this movie went with his brilliant performance, not generally a fan but he blitzed this. During the film I applauded how good the sets were and how realistic everything was only to find these guys were actually up there dancing with Polar bears and seals in freezing conditions. I don't think saying the word "violent" would be a spoiler, more an understatement. Besides being good viewing it made me think how domesticated I was and if I could survive in lesser harsh conditions. I was told once if an actor made you laugh, cry, or more so hate their character, then they were a good actor. Colin Farrell you are a very good actor, as all the cast were. See more Vander A @RT27493688 08/04/2023 Fabulous. Excellent movie making. A tour-de-force. Completely Enthralling. You have no choice but to binge watch. Jack O'Connell and Colin Farrell are both excellent, but Colin Farrell's evilness steals the movie. He actually doesn't have that many lines but his evil menacing needs little dialogue. He is scarily evil. See more Gareth v @geewah 06/18/2023 Dark, brutal and gripping. This tale of survival really comes into it's own in the last few episodes where every man fights for themself in a harsh and unforgiving environment. See more Jose R @RT66084319 10/22/2022 Well, it's no better than The Terror but it's still spectacular to see, I draw attention mainly to Colin Farrel who had the best performance of his career in my opinion. See more Read all reviews
The North Water — Miniseries

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jul 15, 2021 Behold the Man Patrick Sumner, hoping to escape the horrors of his past, finds himself on an ill-fated journey to the Arctic that throws him into the path of brutish harpooner Henry Drax. Details Episode 2 Aired Jul 22, 2021 We Men Are Wretched Things Sumner's adventure turns into a nightmare when one of the crew is murdered. Details Episode 3 Aired Jul 29, 2021 Homo Homini Lupus A discovery by Sumner sends Drax into a rage; an arctic storm threatens the safety of the crew. Details Episode 4 Aired Aug 5, 2021 The Devils of the Earth Drax has a daring opportunity to escape, but must convince Cavendish to help him. Details Episode 5 Aired Aug 12, 2021 To Live is To Suffer After healing in a cabin, Sumner returns to Hull to demand money from Baxter to start a new life. Details
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Season Info

Director
Andrew Haigh
Executive Producer
Fraser Ash, Iain Canning
Screenwriter
Andrew Haigh, Ian McGuire
Network
BBC
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Jul 15, 2021