‘Woman of the Dead’ Review: It Is Hard to Get Used to the Dead

Death is one of life’s universal truths. Everyone and everything will clash with it sooner or later, and we as conscious beings face it in a very different way from most living things. It is something that goes even beyond our own sense of self-preservation. We have even created complex tales that have changed the course of the entire species just to find comfort in knowing that death is not the end. Woman of the Dead, a new German TV series coming to Netflix, tells a tale about grief, and how we face death and the unknown.

Woman of the Dead is a TV series based on the book of the same name, written by Bernhard Aichner. The series stars Anna Maria Mühe, Yousef Sweid, Luis Vorbach, Gregor Bloéb, and Romina Küper. The series tells the story of Blum, a woman who has been living the good life, with a wonderful husband, two amazing kids, and the respect of her community as she works as the mortician in her hometown. When her husband dies in a terrifying accident, Blum’s life tumbles down, and terrible secrets start coming to the light.

Woman of the Dead is one of those classic European thrillers. The story is very much in line with the Millennium series that made Lisbeth Salander such a famous character throughout the world. The European thriller has become its own genre, and this series follows every single parameter of the genre to the teeth. The result is an enjoyable story that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. There are plenty of revelations, twists, and dark subjects that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Of course, this wouldn’t really be possible without a good anchor, and in this opportunity, that anchor comes in the form of Anna Maria Mühe. She is the unique protagonist of the story, and the entire progression of it rests on her shoulders. The actress does an amazing job at depicting Blum, a character that is definitely not normal. Her work as a mortician has made her hard, and she doesn’t show emotions as most people do. This doesn’t mean she doesn’t have emotions, but she reflects them in a very different way.

The story has an amazing beginning, and thanks to the short length of the series, only six episodes, the pacing is maintained throughout. Like in many other stories, the middle drags for a bit, but the episodes are short enough that it will not feel very much like the story is meandering. The story also transforms midway, from a story about grief, into a thriller with conspiracies, villains, secret organizations, and other nefarious stuff that is best kept secret until you see the show. The story is a mix of many things we have seen before, but it works as its own thing.

In terms of visuals, the series uses the same color scheme that identifies most of the Scandinavian shows in the genre. This is a German show, but still, it manages to cross the line and feel like something that was shot in Denmark or Norway. There is this vast and cold landscape that serves perfectly for the kind of story the show is trying to tell. When the natural order feels that big and unrelenting, you certainly might feel like you are way over your head when it comes to dealing with the issue of death.

The further the series goes into the story, it could be said that some of the elements that make the beginning so strong get lots in the way. However, this could be a problem coming all the way from the source material, and the series doesn’t really know how to deal with it. The change in tone and the focus of the story might turn some people off. However, we are sure that in general, the series will just be embraced as a nice binge-watch that tells a gripping story with some dark themes.

Anna Maria Muhë is the star of the show, but the rest of the cast is equally good. Of course, they don’t have the time to shine the way Mühe does, but they seize every opportunity. Küper for example, has one of those thought roles that could be just a throwaway element used as an inciting incident, but she manages to depict a very sad and serious shape of what abuse really is. If there is something that each of the actors does, and it is greatly enhanced by the direction, it is that every character seems to have something to hide. It makes things more interesting.

In the end, Woman of the Dead serves as a very fine example of the crime thriller genre. The story moves at a very good pace, and the main performance really feels impactful and relevant. The rest of the cast is equally good, and the story descends into unexpected places. The revelations and answers to the mysteries might not be the most original around, but the series ends up working thanks to the commitment of the filmmakers. This is an easy binge-watch that you can experience in just one sitting.

SCORE: 8/10